


Swanns of the Seas

by InsaneColoratuba



Category: Pirates of the Caribbean (Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-08
Updated: 2018-08-25
Packaged: 2018-10-29 10:40:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 79
Words: 240,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10852296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InsaneColoratuba/pseuds/InsaneColoratuba
Summary: What if Elizabeth had three sisters? What if they all played parts in the story we all know and love? How will a headstrong girl, a musician, and a meek little mouse affect this familiar tale? Originally posted on fanfiction.net.





	1. Prologue

The night was dark and the faint breeze was brisk. Fog hung heavy in the air over the deep blue, nearly black sea. A lone dreadnought sailed through the unnaturally calm waters of the Atlantic. A Union Jack fluttered ever so slightly in the light breeze. From below the deck, a young girl with long, somewhat tangled black hair emerged. Her face seemed paler in the moonlight, as did her pale grey eyes. She couldn't have been more than fourteen. This girl was none other than Lydia Swann, the eldest of the four Swann daughters.

Lydia scanned the deck, as if searching for something (or someone). Her eyes landed on a girl at the bow, staring at the endless ocean behind them. Lydia shook her head at her sister Elizabeth. She climbed the steps, her eyes downcast as usual. As she got closer to her twelve-year-old sister, she began to hear singing; Elizabeth's singing to be more precise. " _Yo, ho, yo, ho, a pirate's life for me…"_ Elizabeth sang. Lydia bit her lower lip. She was singing a pirate song on a naval vessel? Was she completely and utterly stupid?

Suddenly another young girl bounced past Lydia and over towards Elizabeth. The loose, dirty blonde waves had to have belonged to none other than Alice Swann, Lydia's youngest sister. " _Drink up me hearties, yo, ho…"_ Elizabeth sang, as eight-year-old Alice hummed along. Another sailor brushed past Lydia with an obvious scowl on his face. He put his hands on her sisters' shoulders.

"Quiet, missies!" he hissed. "Cursed pirates sail these waters. D'ye want to call 'em down on us?" Alice and Elizabeth stared at the sailor wide-eyed, though for different reasons. Elizabeth was clearly scared while Alice was curious and wanting to hear more of these pirates.

"Mr. Gibbs," a loud, authoritative voice called out. Lydia turned to see Lieutenant James Norrington approaching. Behind him was her father, Governor Weatherby Swann with Lydia's ten-year-old sister Katherine "Kitty" Swann. "That will do," Norrington continued.

"She was singing about pirates!" Gibbs snapped. "Bad luck to be singing about pirates with us mired in this unnatural fog- mark my words."

"Consider them marked," Norrington coolly responded. "On your way." Gibbs nodded and muttered to himself as he walked past Lydia, not even acknowledging that she was there.

"I think it would be exciting to meet a pirate," Alice piped. Norrington looked down at the little girl with extreme distaste. It was no secret that Alice got on the Lieutenant's nerves. She and Kitty kept pulling little jokes on the crew during their voyage, and they still had a week left.

"Think again, Miss Swann," Norrington snorted. "They are vile and dissolute creatures. I intended to see to it that any man who sails under a pirate flag or wears a pirate brand gets what he deserves: A short drop and a sudden stop." All of Lydia's younger sisters looked confused as to what that last phrase meant. Lydia knew perfectly well it meant a hanging. That sailor, Gibbs, decided to help clarify and mimed being hung. Kitty's pale hand flew to her neck and her light brown eyes widened in fright. Elizabeth just stared and gasped. Alice seemed completely unfazed and possibly more interested. Lydia would never understand Alice.

"Lieutenant Norrington," Governor Swann interjected, seeing the reaction of his daughters, "I appreciate your fervor, but I'm concerned about the effect this subject will have on my daughters."

"Actually, I find it all fascinating," Alice chimed.

"Me too," Kitty added.

"As do I," Elizabeth agreed.

"That's what concerns me," the Governor muttered. "Lydia, could you please direct your sisters to a topic appropriate for our class and station?"

"Yes, father," Lydia meekly responded. Governor Swann and Lieutenant Norrington turned and walked away, most likely to make sure the crew did their respective duties.

"I still think it'd be exciting to meet a pirate," Alice grumbled as she leaned against the bow rail. "More exciting than being stuck in some big house until I'm married off."

"Better than being stuck in some tiny house and going hungry," Lydia pointed out.

"I'd at least have more freedom," Alice growled, her grey eyes flashing with fury.

"Aren't any of you the least bit excited about going to the New World?" Lydia inquired. "Think about it; we'll live by the ocean, we won't be in an overcrowded city any longer, Kitty would never have to see Benjamin Holmes again-"

"Thank the Lord Almighty for that," Kitty murmured, tucking a strand of her light brown hair behind one ear. Suddenly, Elizabeth gasped and pointed towards the water.

"Look! A boy!" she shouted. "A boy in the water!" Lydia ran to the edge to see if what Elizabeth was saying was true. She gasped when she saw an unconscious boy floating on a piece of driftwood in the ocean. Norrington rushed to see.

"Man overboard!" the Lieutenant shouted. "Fetch a hook! Haul him out of there!" The ship was in a frenzy as the sailors attempted to snag the boy on a boathook and get him on the ship. Governor Swann raced towards his daughters and took Alice and Kitty under his arms.

"You two go back to the cabin," he told his two youngest daughters.

"But father-"

"I don't want to hear any argument, Alice," the Governor quickly snapped. Alice pouted and glared at an empty spot on the deck. "Kitty, take your sister inside."

"Yes, father," Kitty responded. She led Alice away as the Governor turned to the ship's newest resident. Whether or not he was alive was still a mystery. Norrington rushed over to the boy and gave a quick assessment.

"He's still breathing," Norrington concluded.

"Where did he come from?" Governor Swann inquired.

"Mary mother of God…" the sailor, Gibbs, suddenly breathed out. Lydia, as well as everyone else on the _H.M.S Dauntless_ , immediately ran to the side of the ship to see what he was looking at. Lydia dropped her jaw and gasped at the sight that lied before here.

It was a ship… or at least what remained on one.

Burning pieces of wood drifted in the ocean, rocking with the waves. The fires burned so hot that Lydia could feel the heat on her face, and she was many feet away from the wreckage. "An explosion in the powder magazine. Merchant vessels run very heavily armed," Norrington explained.

"A lot of good it did them," Gibbs snorted. "Everyone's thinking it. I'm just saying… Pirates."

"There's no proof of that," the Governor stammered. "It could have been an accident." Norrington began to shout out orders for men to ready cannons and longboats. It seemed as if he intended to search for survivors. The crew lifted the unconscious boy and set him to the side. Obviously they needed the deck cleared. The Governor turned to Elizabeth and said, "Elizabeth, I want you to accompany the boy. He's in your charge now. You'll watch over him?" Elizabeth nodded and ran towards the boy. "And Lydia, you'll assist her and watch over your sisters?"

"Of course, father," she replied in her usual quiet, meek voice. As Lydia made her way over to her sister, she saw the boy gasp and suddenly open his eyes.

"It's okay," Lydia could barely hear Elizabeth say. "My name is Elizabeth Swann."

"Will Turner," the boy responded, in a raspy, dry voice.

"I'm watching over you, Will," she assured him. Will nodded and then fell unconscious again. Lydia went up to her sister and knelt next to the boy. Suddenly, Elizabeth noticed a gold chain around Will's neck. She took the medallion from his neck and observed it.

"Elizabeth…" Lydia warned. That's when she noticed the skull design on it. Lydia widened her eyes. There was only one thing a necklace like that could mean.

"You're a pirate," Elizabeth whispered in surprise.

"Did he speak?" Lydia and Elizabeth quickly turned around and looked at Lieutenant Norrington. Elizabeth quickly hid the necklace behind her back.

"H-His name is Will Turner," Lydia stammered. "T-That's all we found out."

"Very good," Norrington responded. "And in the future, Miss Swann, try not to stammer so much. It is unbecoming of a young lady." Lydia nodded and looked down, not wanting to look the Lieutenant in the eye. Norrington hurried off.

"You can't keep it. You have to get rid of it," Lydia quickly hissed to Elizabeth.

"Why not?" Elizabeth asked as she walked to the stern.

"There's something evil about it," Lydia muttered. "I'm not sure what, but I just don't like the look of it…"

"Because it's pirate."

"Because it's evil. Piracy has nothing to do with it." Lydia looked down into the ocean. "Please, just throw it into the water. I have a feeling bad things will happen should you keep it."

"Fine…" Elizabeth murmured. "I'll drop it later tonight."

"Thank you," Lydia sighed, relieved with her sister's choice. Elizabeth left without saying another word. Lydia leaned against the rails of the stern and stared off into the dark fog. After a few minutes she noticed a ship coming out of the fog, a schooner by the looks of it. Normally she would have dismissed it… however this ship was different.

This ship had black sails.

Lydia should have run to gotten a sailor, she should have looked away and ignored it. But she couldn't. She could only stare at the ship, afraid to look away and afraid of what this ship could mean. Was it a pirate ship? Were they going to attack? Did they destroy that other merchant vessel? Lydia looked up at the flag. It was a skull with crossed swords and black as night- a pirate flag. She looked at the ship. The moonlight crossed over the ship and Lydia gasped, her eyes wide and her body suddenly very cold.

She saw skeletal figures roaming the ship. One of them, the one wearing a large feathered hat, turned around and faced the direction that Lydia was standing. Lydia gulp and shut her eyes, willing the images away.

Suddenly she woke up.

And it was eight years later.


	2. Curse of the Black Pearl: Chapter 1

Lydia sat up and rubbed her head. She ran a hand through her disheveled, tangled black hair and gazed out of her bedroom window. Even with her blurry, just-woke-up vision, she could tell the sun had yet to rise. She groaned and got out of bed. Why did she always have to wake up before dawn? She walked over to her small balcony and stared at the dark blue sky and the somewhat calm ocean in the distance.

Lydia had no idea how long it was that she actually stood on her balcony. She only knew that she stared blankly into the distance for the entirety of the morning twilight. Slowly, the clouds began to grow more orange and the sky paled. A faint smile emerged on her pale face when the tip of the sun began to creep over the horizon. The sunrise was always beautiful in Port Royal; the ocean only added to its beauty. The water always seemed to sparkle when the sun shone over it.

Suddenly there was a knocking at her door. "Lydia?" the voice of her father called. "Are you awake? Are you decent?"

"Oh… um…" Lydia quickly ran over to her wardrobe and grabbed the first robe that she saw. She quickly wrapped it around her body as she stammered, "Yes, father. I am." The door opened and her father (along with a maid) entered.

"I knew you'd be awake at this hour," her father chuckled. Lydia nodded and let out a faint giggle.

"Aren't I always?" Lydia joked. "It seems my mind never allows me to rest past dawn." Lydia looked down at noticed a large box in the arms of the maid, Astrid. "What's that?"

"A gift," her father responded. Lydia's grey eyes flickered from the box, to her father, then back to the box, and back to her father again.

"You're going to make me go to Captain Norrington's promotion ceremony, aren't you?" she accused. Governor Swann nodded and Lydia widened her eyes. "Father, I would go if it weren't for my complete lack of social ability."

"You don't have a complete lack of social ability, Lyddie," Governor Swann reassured his daughter. "You just need to be somewhat bolder. But not as bold as Alice, of course."

"Never as bold as Alice," Lydia muttered.

"Perhaps you'll meet a potential suitor there," Governor Swann suggested. Lydia looked up at her father and sighed.

"Father, every match you made for me has said I was too meek to be a suitable wife," Lydia reminded him. "That, and the one time a man did show interest in me you rejected him because I was too young."

"You were."

"I was sixteen!"

"And Cutler Beckett is twelve years older than you. I would prefer a gap of less than ten years." Lydia sighed and nodded. "Some men may be content with marrying their daughters off to suitors thrice their age for financial security. I want you and your sisters to marry the man you believe you'd be happiest with and would best be able to provide for you."

"Perhaps I could have been happy with him," Lydia muttered.

"And I want you to explore other options. Don't choose the first man who shows an interest in you," Governor Swann advised. "Now, Astrid, help Lydia into her new gown. She has a promotion ceremony to attend."

"Yes, Governor," the blonde maid responded. The Governor swiftly left the room and Lydia sighed, bracing herself for the pain of a corset and the horror that was a social event.

* * *

 

Alice Swann, now sixteen years old, sat on her bed with a locked chest and her set of lockpicks. She bit her lower lip and tried to figure out how she was going to break into her own chest. Sure she owned the key, but what fun was that? No, she was going to use her lockpicks to break in. She might get some more experience with using her forbidden tools.

She was about to work her magic when suddenly a loud knocking rang through the air. "Shit…" she muttered under her breath. She quickly rolled up her pouch of tools and hid them under her pillow. She sprang out of her bed and threw on a robe. "Yes?"

"Alice, are you decent?" her father's voice inquired. Alice rolled her eyes.

"No, I'm dancing around a campfire wearing nothing but my smallclothes," she snorted. "Yes, I'm decent." The door opened and her father (with a disapproving glare) and her maid, Lavinia strolled in.

"Alice, such words are not appropriate and not appreciated," her father scolded. Alice rolled her grey eyes and leaned against her bed.

"I know, I know. You don't have to do the propriety and marriage speech," she responded carelessly. "I've heard it enough times to know the general idea."

"Clearly not enough if your behavior has yet to improve," her father snapped. "I know you despise Captain Norrington-"

"Despise is too light a word for what I feel towards that man," Alice muttered venomously.

"-but you will be attending his promotion ceremony today," her father finished. "I expect you to be on your best behavior."

"You say that as if I'm eight."

"You still have yet to act your age," Governor Swann retorted. "Vinnie, will you please get Alice ready?" The dark haired servant nodded and led Alice behind her dressing screen. Governor Swann turned on his heel and left the room, not speaking another word. Down the hall, Alice could hear the sound of an oboe flying through various scales. Alice smiled. She knew that meant Kitty was awake.

* * *

 

Kitty had been awake for at least half an hour. She had already dressed into a simple lavender day gown that required no help from a maid. She was soaking the reed for her instrument of choice, the oboe. A bassoon and violin sat in the corner of her room obviously played numerous times; just not today… yet. She took her pale, wooden oboe from its resting spot and attached the reed. She smiled as she put her instrument to her lips.

With rapid movements of her slender, pale fingers, her flawlessly executed a C Major scale, she immediately moved on to the next key signature in her circle of fifths. She completely all of her scales within two minutes, a very fast time even for her. Kitty smirked at success. She knew she was a brilliant musician; she started to realize it after multiple had told her how skilled she was with the oboe and the violin and the piano and so on…

Kitty needed to get as much practice in today as she could. She had to perform with the string quintet at the Captain's promotion ceremony. If she wanted to work with her favorite instrument (the oboe, obviously), then she needed to get her work done now, when she had the chance.

"Kitty?" her father inquired through the door. "I'm assuming you're awake from the sound of the oboe."

"Yes, I am," she replied. Governor Swann entered the room closely followed by Kitty's maid, Althea. "Good morning, father. If anyone was still sleeping, they probably aren't anymore." Governor Swann chuckled and smiled. She set down the oboe and looked at the large box Althea was carrying. "Can I assume this is for the promotion ceremony?"

"Indeed it is. Shouldn't you being working with your violin?" Kitty shrugged and stood up.

"You know I prefer the oboe. I'll practice the violin later," she responded. "Though I'm guessing you want me to get ready for the ceremony now. I can assume Althea is holding a new dress?" Governor Swann nodded. "Elizabeth, Alice, and Lydia were given new dresses as well, weren't they?"

"Of course," Governor Swann said with a soft smile. Kitty smiled and shook her head.

"Very well. I shall see you at the ceremony father." She put her oboe reed back into its small water glass and put her oboe back into its case. Governor Swann left the room, most likely to wake either Alice or Elizabeth. Lydia would be up by now; she always woke before dawn. Althea smiled as she took the pale green dress out of its box. Kitty nearly grimaced when she realized she would need a corset for this dress. Luckily the violin was an instrument that didn't require massive amounts of air.

* * *

 

Will Turner paced around the foyer in the Swann residence. He held the sword Governor Swann ordered under one arm, waiting to give it to the Governor. He looked up at a sconce on the way. He attempted to touch it lightly but ended up taking a piece of it off. A loud _clang_ echoed through the foyer. Will grimaced and stared at the candle in his hand. He looked around the room, trying to find a place to hide it. He threw it in a vase filled with canes and umbrellas. He heard a feminine chuckle come from upstairs. He looked up and saw Kitty Swann smiling at him, holding a violin case in one hand and a leather binder full of music in the other. "Miss Swann," Will greeted, slightly flustered from the sconce incident.

"Don't worry, Mr. Turner," she said. "I won't bring any attention to your mishap." She straightened the front of her green dress as she descended down the stairs. A few moments later, Lydia Swann appeared wearing a light violet dress. She seemed to shrink into herself as she walked down the stairs. Her eyes were downcast as usual. Will was one of many who had to tell her to look up. "I must be going. I'm supposed to rehearse with the other members of the quintet." She nodded good-bye to Will and Lydia before exiting the manor.

"How do you do, Mr. Turner," Lydia asked in her quiet, meek voice. Will was about to respond, but then Governor Swann appeared at the top of the staircase.

"Mr. Turner," Governor Swann said with a gentle smile. "Good to see you again. Lydia, you look absolutely beautiful." Lydia looked down and blushed. She said no words. Will knew she didn't believe her father's words. While Lydia was rather pretty, Will's heart belonged to her eldest younger sibling.

"Good day, sir," Will said, his attention now on the Governor. Lydia slid back into a corner and stood there quiet, looking down yet again. "I have your order." He set the case on the table in the foyer and took out the sword. He handed in to Governor Swann, who unsheathed the metal beauty. "The blade is folded steel. That's gold filigree laid into the handle. If I may?" Governor Swann handed the sword to Will. He balanced it on one finger. "Perfectly balanced. The tang is nearly the full width of the blade." He flipped the sword in his hand and presented it to Governor Swann. Lydia let out a faint gasp at the flip, but immediately shrunk into herself and muttered an apology.

"Impressive," Governor Swann said. "Very impressive. Commodore Norrington is going to be very pleased with this. Do pass my compliments on to your Master." Will froze and let out a forced smile. His drunkard Master never made anything anymore. This sword was Will's doing. However, he wasn't going to correct the Governor.

"I shall," Will said. "A craftsman is always pleased to hear his work is appreciated." He heard footsteps come down the stairs. Governor Swann, Will, and Lydia all turned their attention to the source of the sound. Elizabeth Swann let out a smile when she saw Will. He felt his heart stop for a moment before rapidly beating again. Lydia smiled at her sister. Elizabeth went up to Lydia and took both of her hands.

"Lyddie, you look beautiful," Elizabeth said to her older sister. Lydia shook her head and let out a small smile.

"Not as beautiful as you, Elizabeth," Lydia replied. Elizabeth seemed to accept that response. There was little to no use arguing against Lydia. Elizabeth turned to Will and let out a smile.

"Will," she said. "It's so good to see you. I had a dream about you last night." Will dropped his jaw slightly.

"About me?" he asked, not entirely sure of how to react to that. Lydia looked down, probably also not sure of how to react to Elizabeth's boldness.

"Elizabeth," Governor Swann quietly chastised, "Is that entirely proper for you to-"

"About the say we met, do you remember?" Elizabeth continued. Lydia snapped her head up and widened her eyes.

"How could I forget, Miss Swann," Will replied.

"How many times must I ask you to call me Elizabeth?" Elizabeth asked.

Will let out a smile and said, "At least once more, Miss Swann, as always."

"Strange," Lydia murmured. "I-I had the same dream as well." All three stared at Lydia in shock. No one was certain whether it was because of the shared dream, her unnatural boldness (for her, at least), or a combination of both.

"At least the boy has a sense of propriety," Governor Swann said. He handed Elizabeth and Lydia parasols. "Now, we really must be going. Do either of you know where Alice is?" Elizabeth looked over at Lydia and shrugged, obviously having no idea where the youngest Swann was. Lydia shook her head.

"I think it's safe to assume that she ran off with no intention of attending Captain Norrington's promotion ceremony," Lydia said quietly. "I-I mean, she can't stand him." Governor Swann sighed and shook his head. Will doubted any of them were surprised by Alice's actions. Will wasn't even surprised by Alice's actions. She had a wild soul; more than once she'd come by the shop in boy's clothing asking to learn blacksmith.

"I expected as much out of her," Governor Swann muttered. "Kitty already left with Althea. Come along." He turned to leave the manor. Lydia followed her father closely behind. Elizabeth looked at Will once more.

"Good day, Mr. Turner," she said. She followed her father and sister. They entered a carriage as Will stared at Elizabeth.

"Good day, Elizabeth," he breathed out. The carriage drove off and almost immediately Alice Swann popped out of the front hedges. She was donned in her mens clothing, her long blonde hair hidden in a brown tricorn hat.

"Finally," she said as she walked towards Will. "I'm free at last. So can I hang around the shop? I need to make myself some more lock picks." Will sighed and shook his head. This was nothing but typical for the sixteen-year-old girl.

"Alice, you know you can't come with," Will said. Alice snorted and rolled her eyes.

"Fine. Have it your way. Kiss up to my father. I'll just head to the docks then. If you want to stay on his good side, just pretend like you never saw me," she said. She strolled off in the direction of the harbor. Will shook his head. The day Alice Swann grew up would be the day that the sea became the sky and rain turned to fire.


	3. Curse of the Black Pearl: Chapter 2

"You're going to get into trouble." Alice smirked and looked at her friend Mariah Burton, the Harbormaster's daughter. Alice's eyes flash as she giggled.

"Riah, you know that I have little to no care as to what my father thinks," Alice said. Mariah rolled her green eyes and tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. "Besides, I'd rather be here than Captain Borington's promotion ceremony."

"Alice, I do have actual work I need to be doing down at the dock," Mariah said. Alice smiled and hopped off the fence she was sitting on.

"Anything I can do to help?" Alice asked. Mariah shook her head.

"Mostly just making sure the right shipments go to the right places," Mariah replied. "Even if I did need help with something, I could never ask you to help me, Lady Swann." Alice groaned and glared at Mariah. She hated it whenever Mariah brought up the fact she was nobility.

"As far as your father knows, I'm just some urchin named Alastair," Alice reminded her. Mariah smiled and laughed. The pair walked a short ways to the docks. Alice breathed in the salty sea air as they stepped onto the wooden docks. Alice loved the sea; if she had her way she'd be living on a ship sailing everywhere in the world. But alas, she was born as the daughter of Governor Weatherby Swann. Such dreams were unattainable, but Alice intended to fight for it till her very last breath. She had little care as to what her father or Lydia thought. The Harbormaster approached the pair.

"There you are Mariah," he said. He looked over at Alice and narrowed his eyes. "Alastair." Alice bowed her head and smiled. Good; he still didn't like her. The more he disliked her, the less he would ever think that Alice was a girl. "Riah, the shipments for the tavern just came in. Make sure we got the right number of kegs and the right kinds of beer."

"Understood," Mariah responded. Alice looked up at the Harbormaster and smiled.

"Anything I can do?" Alice asked, lowering her voice to sound more like boy. The Harbormaster glared down at Alice. "Come on, you can trust me."

"I highly doubt that," the Harbormaster sneered. He turned on his heels and searched for his slave boy. Alice rolled her eyes and looked over at the docks. Suddenly she saw a sight that made her eyes widen and her jaw drop.

"What in the seven hells...?" she muttered. She watched as a boat approached the dock... a _sinking_ boat. On top mast of the little boat stood a man. He was probably in his late twenties or early thirties. His skin was tan, most likely from years on the sea, and his attire was ratty, yet seemed to represent superiority. His long black dreadlocks was adorned with beats and trinkets, as was his braided beard. As he grew nearer (and his ship sunk further) she noticed that he wore a red bandana under his hat (which Alice was suddenly envious of). When the boat neared the dock, it had sunk to the point to where the man could just step off the mast and onto the dock in one perfect step. Alice smirked and nodded. This man was smooth. He started walking down the dock when the Harbormaster noticed him.

"Hold you, there, you!" The Harbormaster snapped. The man turned around and looked at the Harbormaster expectantly. "It's a shilling to tie up your boat at the dock." Both looked down at the sunken boat as Alice inserted herself into the conversation.

"That doesn't exactly look tied," Alice said. The Harbormaster merely glared at Alice, who raised her hands defensively and walked away.

"And I shall need to know your name," he said to the mysterious man. The man reached into his coin purse and pulled out three shillings.

"What d'ye say to three shillings, and we forget the name?" he asked. He set the three shillings onto the Harbormaster's books. The Harbormaster exchanged glances with his slave and shut the book.

"Welcome to Port Royal, Mr. Smith," the Harbormaster said. 'Smith' took three steps, saw the Harbormaster's money pouch and quickly shook it. He apparently liked the sound and snatched the purse full of money. Alice smirked and laughed.

"I saw that," she called out. 'Smith' turned his head and studied Alice for a second. "Relax, I won't tell. He kind of deserves. I'm Al." Alice extended her hand.

"Mr. Smith," the man responded, shaking Alice's hand.

"You and I both know that's not your real name," she said with a smirk.

"Then you'll just have to go without," 'Smith' said. Al shrugged and sighed.

"Well, at least I tried," she murmured. "By the way, avoid going anywhere near the fort. Some military git's getting promoted. Pretty much the entire navy's there." 'Smith raised his eyebrows and seemed to ponder this information.

"Thanks for the tip, mate," he said. Al nodded and turned on her heel, leaving 'Mr. Smith' behind with a dumbfounded look on his face. She wanted to go to a more secluded part of the shore. Maybe she'd visit Murtogg and Mullroy later. They were some of the few marines that knew that Alice Swann and the urchin Alastair were one and the same. As long as she never went anywhere near Norrington's promotion ceremony.

* * *

 

Lydia sat down between Elizabeth and another noble named Clarissa. "Elizabeth, do you have any idea where Alice is?"

"No. I'm sorry," Elizabeth muttered back. Lydia nodded and turned her gaze to her father, who was waiting at the end of the courtyard. Then a very loud voice shouted out, "Two paces march!" Soldiers walked forward. "Right about face." The soldiers turned towards the center and stood in a statue-like position _. I am so glad I'm not a man...I'd be in the military by now._ "Present arms!"

The men raised their guns and Captain Norrington started to walk through the arch of men with their guns held up high. Lydia noticed that he somewhat looked at Elizabeth with admiration. Norrington walked up to Governor Swann, who presented the sword to Norrington.

Lydia looked over at Elizabeth who was fanning herself furiously. No matter how much Lydia wanted to ask if her sister was alright, she couldn't. If she did, she would interrupt the ceremony and that would mark her as improper and self-centered.

* * *

 

Kitty sat with the other members of the string quintet as they played their final song as a quintet. After all, Kitty was the daughter of the Governor; she was expected to socialize with other upper class ladies while she was there. She played her final sixteenth-note flourish at the end of the piece and the nobles clapped quietly for them. Kitty and the rest of the quintet stood up and took a bow. Kitty placed her violin back in its case an handed it to a servant to return to the Swann residence. She strolled through the party, accepting the compliments various nobles gave her about her exceptional musical ability. She felt someone tap her shoulder and she saw none other than James Norrington behind him.

Though Alice and Norrington never got along well, he and Kitty had grown to be quite good friends over the years... well, after she outgrew her 'let's play jokes on people' phase. He was one of the few people who socialized with her for more than just her musical ability. However, it was no surprise to her that he had feelings for Elizabeth. Kitty was one of the first people he told of his intentions to court Elizabeth. Yet it still annoyed Kitty that Norrington had never seen Kitty in that same way. But Kitty wouldn't go after the man her sister was courting, even if Elizabeth was only courting him out of duty and nothing more. "Commodore, it's good see you again," Kitty greeted. "Congratulations on your promotion." Norrington smiled.

"Thank you, Katherine," Norrington said. Kitty smirked and rolled her eyes.

"Haven't I told you to call me Kitty? Everyone else refers to me by that name," Kitty said. "The name Katherine almost feels like a stranger." Norrington let out a faint laugh.

"It doesn't matter how many times you ask," he said. "I will always prefer Katherine over Kitty. Your playing was phenomenal, as always."

"Ah, but if my playing is always phenomenal, is it really phenomenal? Or is it merely average?" Kitty challenged. Norrington shook his head at her antics.

"Have you seen your sister anywhere?" Norrington asked.

"Which one? I have three," Kitty replied. Norrington rolled his eyes. "I can safely assume you're not trying to find Alice."

"Speaking of Alice, I noticed that she was unsurprisingly absent from the ceremony," Norrington said.

"Yes," Kitty said. "We assume she ran off prior to leaving the estate. She's probably running around the docks as usual." Norrington sighed and shook his head. "Why do the pair of you hate each other do much?"

"There are too many reasons and too many grudges to answer that within a short time frame," Norrington snorted. "Why Alice hates me, I have no idea. I harbor a strong dislike of her for her rash actions, her outspokenness, and her otherwise rude and immature behavior towards me. Anyway, we're not here to discuss your younger sister and her foolish antics. Have you seen Elizabeth anywhere?"

"Last I saw she was over by the battlements," Kitty answered. Norrington let out one of his handsome smiles and looked in that direction. "May I inquire as to why you need to speak to her so urgently?" she asked with a mocking smile. Norrington looked at her with a smirk.

"I suppose I could confide in you," he said. "After all, you're one of the few people I trust most." He quickly glanced around and lowered his voice as he said, "I plan on proposing to her today." Kitty let out a forced smile. Of course he'd been planning on proposing to her. Kitty knew that he would ever have any feelings for her beyond friendship.

"She'll accept it," Kitty said. "I have no doubt." And Kitty truly did have no doubt that Elizabeth would accept. After all, it was a matter of duty. Norrington smiled and said a brief good-bye to Kitty. She waited for him to approach Elizabeth. Lydia walked up to Kitty and smiled at the scene.

"I'm glad she's found someone," Lydia said. "She won't end up a spinster like me."

"Someone will marry you, Lyddie," Kitty said. "A man would be a fool to pass you up."

"Then I fear there are a great many fools on this Earth," Lydia replied with a sad smile. She turned to Kitty and smiled. "So, have any men crossed your mind as far as suitors go?" Kitty shook her head. The one man she would have pursued was currently proposing to her elder sister. Suddenly she heard Norrington let out a loud gasp.

"ELIZABETH!" he shouted. Lydia and Kitty ran up to the battlement. It was easy to piece together what had happened; Elizabeth fell from the battlement and into a sea. Kitty looked down into the water. It look as if she'd missed the rocks. Norrington started to shed his coat, but Kitty ran up and stopped him.

"Commodore, the rocks!" she snapped. "It's a miracle she missed them. You might not be so lucky." Norrington nodded and looked at his men.

"To the docks!" he ordered. Norrington and his soldiers all started to run towards the docks, with Lydia, Kitty and Governor Swann close behind. They could only pray that their sister was alive and could be saved.  


	4. Curse of the Black Pearl: Chapter 3

Captain Jack Sparrow looked at the ship sitting at the dock in front of him. Just like that boy Al had said, there were no visible guards there. If there were any, there would be no more than two. He strolled up to the dock and down the wooden ramp. Sure enough, two guards were sitting down there. Jack briefly waved before proceeding to the ship. They quickly ran in front of Jack and stood before him, attempting to look imposing and threatening."This dock is off limits to civilians." the skinnier guard said to Jack.

"I'm terribly sorry. I didn't know," Jack said. "If I see one, I shall let you know." He attempted to board the ship once again and the guards once again blocked his way. Jack sighed and looked up at the fort. "Apparently there's some sort of high toned and fancy to do up at the fort, eh? How could it be that two upstanding gentlemen such as yourselves did not merit an invitation?" The two guards exchanged glances.

"Someone has to make sure this dock stays off limits to civilians," the skinny one said.

"It's a fine goal to be sure," Jack said. "But it seems to me that a-" he tried to move but was blocked. _Shit_. He looked around and saw a larger, more powerful looking ship out in the bay and pointed to it. "A ship like that, makes this one here a bit superfluous, really."

"The _Dauntless_ may be the power in these waters, but it can't match the _Interceptor_ for speed." Jack turned around and saw Al, the boy from earlier, walking down the ramp, a smirk drawn on his face. The two guards stared at him in shock.

"What are you doing here?" the skinny guard hissed. "You're supposed to be up at the Commodore's promotion ceremony." Al rolled his eyes and sighed.

"You know I can't stand that man," he said. "Why would I dream of attending his promotion?"

"Because you're the governor's daughter!" the fatter one snapped. The skinny guard struck the fat guard on the chest and pointed to Jack. Jack looked over at Al, who was glaring daggers into the fat guard. He sighed and shook his head.

"Well, the cat's out of the bag now," he said. He took off his hat and a messy, wavy mop of blonde hair fell out. Jack immediately dropped his jaw at the realization that the boy was in fact a girl. She walked down the ramp and leaned against a beam. "Alice Swann," she greeted.

"Well, Miss Swann," Jack said. "I've heard of a ship that's supposed to faster. Uncatchable even... the _Black Pearl._ " He saw Alice's eyes brighten at the sound of the name of that ship. So she was familiar with it... interesting. The fatter guard snorted and laughed.

"There's no real ship that can match the _Interceptor_ ," he said. Alice narrowed her eyes and glared at the fatter guard.

"The _Black Pearl_ is a real ship, Mullroy," Alice snapped.

"No it's not," Mullroy replied.

"Yes it is," the skinny guard said. "I've seen it."

"You've seen it, Murtogg?" Mullroy asked.

"I've seen it too," Alice added.

" You've seen a ship with black sails, that's crewed by the damned and captained by a man so evil that Hell itself spat him back out?" Mullroy asked. He quickly froze and turned to Alice with widened eyes. "Pardon my language, Miss Swann."

"It's fine, I hear worse around the docks," Alice said, completely brushing it off.

"No," Murtogg said. "But I have seen a ship with black sails." Mullroy turned to Murtogg with a look of false surprise. While the guards were distracted, Jack slowly made his way onto the _Interceptor_. Alice was watching him move onto the ship the entire time, smirking and shaking her head at his antics.

"Oh, and no ship that's not crewed by the damned and captained by a man so evil that Hell itself spat him back out could possibly have black sails therefore couldn't possibly be any other ship than the Black Pearl. Is that what you're saying?" Mullroy asked. Jack saw Alice snap her head over to Mullroy with obvious confusion. Jack made his way to the wheel and started to spin it, trying to get a feel for the ship he had full intentions of commandeering.

"Wait... what?" Alice asked. "I didn't understand a single word of what you just said... which is sad because I'm nobility." Murtogg merely nodded.

"No," he said. Mullroy smirked.

"Like I said, there's no real ship that can match the _Interceptor_ ," he said. The pair finally seemed to notice that Jack was no longer in front of them. They turned around and saw Jack at the wheel of the ship. "Hey! You! Get away from there!" The guards ran onto the ship while Alice strolled along behind them, laughing the entire time. "You don't have permission to be aboard there, mate!"

"Took you idiots long enough," she said.

"I'm sorry," Jack said. "It's just such a pretty boat." He paused and bit his lip. "Ship," he corrected.

"What's your name?" Murtogg asked.

"Smith," Jack responded. "Or Smithy, if you like." Alice rolled her eyes, clearly not believing that his name was Smith. _Clever girl..._

"What's your purpose in Port Royal, Mr. Smith?" Mullroy asked.

"Yeah, and no lies," Murtogg added on. Alice sat down on a barrel, clearly enjoying the scenario that was unfolding. Jack sighed and smirked, deciding to give the young girl some entertainment.

"Well, then, I confess," Jack said, "It is my intention to commandeer one of these ships, pick up a crew in Tortuga, raid, pillage, plunder and otherwise pilfer my weasely black guts out."

"I said no lies!" Murtogg shouted.

"I'm pretty sure he's telling the truth," Alice chimed in.

"Alice, if he were telling the truth, he wouldn't have told us," Mullroy said.

"Unless, of course," Jack said, "He knew you wouldn't believe the truth even if he told it to you." Alice smirked and smiled.

"Clever..." she murmured with a smile. "You're obviously a man of the sea, am I right?" Jack nodded. "Since that is said so it seems very obvious that he could, in fact, know how to commandeer a ship."

"Prove it," Mullroy challenged. Jack smirked. He started to go into detailed accounts of some of his journeys, but he warped it to appear as if he were an honest sea-man and not the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow. Alice was listening with vivid interest, as if she wanted to go to sea so badly yet was restrained to the predictabilities of land. He got down to the part on the island full of cannibals.

"And then they made me their chief," Jack said. Then a loud splash was heard. He turned around and looked at where a woman fell.

"I think that was my sister," Alice said in shock.

"Who'll be saving her then?" Jack asked.

"I can't swim!" Mullroy admitted. Murtogg nodded his head, signaling he couldn't swim either.

"I can swim," Alice told him. "But I doubt I have the upper body strength required to bring her ashore." Jack sighed and looked at the two guards.

"Right. Pride of the Kings Navy you two are…" he muttered before giving them his effects. He handed Alice his hat. "Don't lose these." He dived in after the fallen woman. He swam down very far before he felt a strong pulse through the water. He was unsure of what that was, but brushed it off as he went down and grabbed the woman. He tried to swim to the top but the dress was weighing her down. He ripped off the dress and carried the woman back to the surface. He got the dock and placed the woman on it. Alice let out a gasp. "Elizabeth!"

"She's not breathing!" Murtogg worriedly muttered. Jack sighed and pushed Murtogg out of the way. He took a knife and sliced open Elizabeth's corset. Elizabeth awoke and gasped for breath.

"That's why I say corsets are murder tools," Alice muttered. Jack let out a slight laugh.

"I wouldn't have thought of that…" Mullroy uttered.

"Clearly you've never been to Singapore," Jack said. He looked at the gold necklace around Elizabeth's neck. Jack had to hold back a gasp. "Where did you get that?" he asked Elizabeth. Before he could get an answer a sword was struck in front of him.

"On your feet," The gruff yet young military man ordered. Jack stood up and held up his hands. An older man helped Elizabeth up and fretted over her. Two other girls fretted over Elizabeth too. One of the girls had black hair and the other had brown hair. The old man looked at Murtogg who had Elizabeth's corset. He dropped the corset and pointed to Jack.

"Shoot him," The old man ordered.

"Father," The brown haired one snapped. "Commodore, do you really intend on killing Elizabeth's rescuer?" The Commodore sighed and motioned for his men to lift their guns.

"You're right, Miss Swann," The Commodore pointed out. Jack froze at the name Swann. That meant this girl was one of Alice's sisters, which meant the older man holding Elizabeth was most likely her father, the Governor. Not good... not good in the slightest. "I believe thanks are in order." The Commodore extended a hand. . Jack hesitantly grabbed his hand, and then at once his pirate brand was revealed. Jack bit his lip. "Had a brush with the East India Trading Company I see?"

"Hang him!" the governor ordered.

"Keep your guns on him men. Gillette, fetch him some irons," The Commodore ordered. Then Jack's tattoo of a soaring sparrow was revealed. "Well, well. Jack Sparrow." Alice immediately gasp and started to smile.

"Captain," Jack corrected. "Captain Jack Sparrow."

"You're Captain Jack Sparrow?" Alice asked. Jack nodded and she bit her lower lip. "I can't believe it... I spent the afternoon talking to Captain Jack Sparrow."

"Miss Swann, please try to keep your unnatural fascination with pirates to yourself," Norrington snapped. "Besides, I don't see your ship, _Captain._ "

"I'm in the market as it were," Jack said with a slight sneer.

"He said he's come to commandeer one," Murtogg said. Jack glared at the guard. After all the time they'd spent together, he was still willing to rat him out? How was that for loyalty to new friends... if you could have even called them friends in that time period.

"Told you he was telling the truth," Mullroy said.

"I believe that was me," Alice snapped. Jack gave Alice a look that clearly said she wasn't helping the situation. "Sorry..."

"These are his, sir," Mullroy said as he handed Jack's effects to the Commodore. He noticed Alice was still holding onto the hat. He cleared his throat and Alice reluctantly gave the hat to him. The Commodore picked up the gun and observed it carefully.

"No additional shots, nor powder," he said. He picked up the compass and looked at the wayward needle that seemed to point to Elizabeth and her brown-haired sister. "A compass that doesn't point north." He unsheathed Jack's sword and let out a mocking smile. "And I half expected it to be made out of wood." He unsheathed the sword and shook his head at Jack. "You are without a doubt the worst pirate I've ever heard of."

"Ah!" Alice chimed in. "But you have heard of him." The Commodore glared at Alice and grabbed Jack by the arms. He dragged the pirate to be locked up in handcuffs. Alice groaned and went to follow the Commodore. Her father looked less than pleased when she shouted. "Commodore Norrington, I really must protest! Pirate or not, this guy saved Elizabeth's life!"

"One good deed is not enough to redeem a man of a lifetime of wickedness," Norrington snapped.

"Though it seems enough to condemn him," Jack muttered under his breath. Norrington turned to him and glared.

"Indeed," he said. Alice rolled her eyes and glared at Norrington. Jack smirked when the Lieutenant moved away from him.

"Finally," Jack said. He moved his arms around Alice and held the chains to her neck. The marines went to aim their guns, but the Governor gasped. The other three Swann sisters gathered closer to each other as they stared in shock. Norrington glared at Jack.

"Don't shoot," he ordered.

"You hesitated," Alice snapped. "You without a doubt hesitated. I know you hate me, but you didn't have to hesitate!"

"I didn't hesitate," Norrington growled.

"I knew you'd warm up to me," Jack said with a smirk. Alice merely stood there, seemingly unafraid of the situation she was in. A part of Jack was glad for that, yet a part of him wished she were a little more scared to help his escape. However, he couldn't very well convey that message now. "Commodore Norrington, my effects please, and my hat." Norrington glared at Jack and looked down. "Commodore!" Norrington reluctantly grabbed Jack's effects and handed them to Alice. Jack immediately took his gun and held it Alice's head. "Alice, if you'd be so kind?"

"Sure," she said simply. She started to strap on his swords. "The gun isn't necessary, you know."

"Perhaps," Jack said. "But I do have a flair for the dramatic." Alice shook her head and rolled her eyes as she put on his hat. "I saved your sister's life, you save mine. We're square."

"In your mind, sure," Alice said. He spun Alice around to where she was facing the marines and her family.

"Gentlemen, ladies, Alice," Jack said. "You will always remember this as the day that you almost caught Captain Jack Sparrow!" He pushed Alice away, who ended up in the arms of her sisters. He attempt to make his escape by grabbing a rope and swinging around.

Little did he know that he would fail in his escape attempt.


	5. Curse of the Black Pearl: Chapter 4

"There you go miss," Vinnie said as she put a bed warmer between the sheets in Alice's bed. "It's been a long day for you, I'm sure."

"Not really," Alice replied as she flipped through her book on pirate legends. "Well, aside from Elizabeth almost drowning. That was definitely stressful."

"I meant you being threatened by that pirate," Vinnie said. "That sounds terrifying!" Alice rolled her eyes at Vinnie's naivety. As if Alice would ever find anything involving pirates to be terrifying.

"Not really. It was actually rather exciting." Vinnie gave Alice and wary glance. Alice sighed and shook her head. "Yeah, yeah. I know. That's not proper thinking for a young woman of my stature. I've heard it enough times. Though I still can't believe Norrington hesitated when those guns were on me. Now I have something else to add onto my list of reasons why I hate him."

"You know he proposed to Elizabeth today, right?" Alice widened her eyes and dropped her book. This was news to her.

"He _what_?" she gasped. "No. No. I refuse to have Norrington as my brother-in-law. Elizabeth didn't say yes, did she?"

"She hasn't answered him yet, with everything that's happened today," Vinnie said. Alice sighed in relief. She still had time to convince Elizabeth to say no. "If it's not too bold to say, it is a smart match. Perhaps you should try to get along with the Commodore." Alice snorted and went back to reading her book.

"I highly doubt that will ever happen." Vinnie nodded and left the room. Alice continued to read her book on pirate legends until she fell into a deep sleep, filled with dreams of ghost ships, cannons, and dark islands in the sea...

* * *

_BAM!_

Lydia woke up with a start. She leapt out of bed and looked out of her window. In the harbor an unfamiliar ship sat. She heard a bang, saw a bright flash come from the ship, and then an area of Port Royal was in flames. She looked at the sails. She gasped when she realized the ship had black sails.

It was the ship from the crossing from England.

Lydia ran out of her room and searched for her sisters. Kitty emerged from her room, her eyes filled with panic. "You heard the cannon fire," Kitty said. It was a statement, not a question. Lydia gulped and nodded. Alice ran out, her eyes wide.

"The Black Pearl is attacking," she said. Lydia almost wanted to take the faint trace of excitement in Alice's eyes and rip it out. But she was far too afraid and panicked to focus on such things now. Suddenly Elizabeth ran out of her room, panicked like the rest of the Swann sisters.

"The pirates, they're heading this way," Elizabeth said. Lydia ran towards the foyer, her sisters close behind. They heard a knock at the door and Lydia felt her heart stop for a moment. The butler went to open the door.

"Don't!" Lydia shouted. But it was too late, the butler had already opened the door. Several pirates stood there.

The grimy, fat one in the front took one look at the butler, said, "Hello, chum," and shot the poor man in the center of the head. The sisters all screamed. He looked up and saw the four girls. "Up there!" he shouted. Lydia was almost too scared to move, but she willed herself to run up the stairs. Elizabeth, Kitty, and Alice were all ahead of her. They opened the nearest door and ran inside. When Lydia bolted into the room, Alice shut the door and locked it. Estrella, Elizabeth's maid, gasped and brought the four girls over to the side.

"They've come to kidnap you," she shouted. Lydia looked at Estrella in confusion.

"What?" Elizabeth asked.

"You're the Governor's daughters." The four sisters all exchanged glances, knowing that Estrella might have some truth to her words.

"They haven't seen you. Hide, and the first chance you get, run to the fort," Elizabeth instructed her maid. Estrella nodded and the four sisters ran. The pirates burst through the door and Lydia bit back a scream. Alice grabbed the bed warmer from Elizabeth's bed and swung it as the pirates ran through the door. The fat one went cross-eyed and fell to the ground. She went to hit the other pirate, but he grabbed the pan. Alice smirked and released the ashes on top of his head.

"Come on!" Alice shouted. Lydia followed her sisters and ran through the house.

"It's hot!" the skinny one shouted. "You burned me!"

"Come on!" the fat one shouted back. The four ran back down the stairs to try and escape, but the skinny pirate jumped over the balcony and in front of them. The girls were cornered, and they weren't sure how they were going to get back out. Suddenly, a cannon ball burst through the house and took out of the pirates. While the two pirates were distracted, the girls ran. A chandelier fell in front of the skinny pirate, preventing them from following for a few moments. They ran into the dining room. Kitty grabbed a candlestick and used it to lock the door.

"What do we do now?" Kitty asked, in a panic. Alice ran to the decorative shield with two swords and tried to grab a sword. Instead, the entire piece fell and the sword wouldn't come out She tossed it to the side.

"Well, that option's out," she said. The door bulged as the pirates tried to shove it open. Lydia looked at the window. She ran to it and opened it.

"Alice, Kitty, get out and get to the fort," Lydia instructed.

"What about you and Liz?" Kitty asked. The door bulged again, nearly breaking.

"We'll find some other way," Elizabeth said. "Go! Both of you!" Kitty and Alice nodded. Alice was the first to dive out the window. She climb out with such ease that Lydia immediately knew she had years of practice.

"Make it alive," Kitty said. She climbed out the window a little more clumsily than Alice, but made it out. The door shook again and Lydia and Elizabeth searched for a place to hide. Elizabeth ran towards the pantry and opened the door. Lydia ran in the pantry and shut the door. They heard the door break.

"We know you here, poppets," the voice of the fat one called.

"Poppets," the other echoed.

"Come out," the first one said, "and we promise we won't hurt you." There was silence for a few moments. Lydia and Elizabeth stood in the pantry, frozen and unable to breathe. Lydia felt her heart hammering in her hears and was surprised the pirates couldn't hear her blood rushing. "We will find you, poppets. You've got something out ours, and it calls to us. The gold calls to us." Elizabeth pulled a medallion out from between her breasts; not just any medallion, the one that Lydia asked her to get rid of eight years ago. Lydia looked up and saw the yellow eyes of the fat pirate. "Hello, poppets."

"Parley!" Elizabeth shouted as the pirates swung open the doors.

"P-Parley," Lydia stammered shortly after her sister.

"What?" the skinny one asked.

"Parley," Elizabeth repeated. "We invoke the right of parley. According to the Code of the Brethren, set down by the pirates Morgan and Bartholomew, you have to take me to your captain."

"I know the Code," the fat one growled.

"I-If an adversary demands parley you can do them no harm until the parley is complete," Lydia said. The skinny one growled.

"To blazes with the Code."

"They want to be taken to the Captain," the fat one snapped. "And they'll go without a fuss. We must honor the Code." They were grabbed by the arms and led out of their home. Lydia almost felt herself shaking in fear. They were dragged out into the streets. The town they'd come to know and love was now nearly ravaged, burning, and full of chaos. Frightened commoners ran from the threatening and terrifying pirates. "Come on!" the fat one shouted.

"Will," Elizabeth suddenly muttered. They were led further down the street. As they were being led, Lydia heard the loud bangs of many gunshots and cannon fires. Suddenly Lydia felt a sharp, burning pain. She cried out in pain and fell to the ground, gripping her right shoulder. "Lydia!" Elizabeth shouted. The skinny one lifted her up and helped her walk.

"Pintel, she got shot in the shoulder!" the skinny one shouted.

"Damn it!" the fat one (now known as Pintel) said. They were led to where the longboats were and shoved inside. Lydia fell on the shoulder that was just shot, sending more shooting pains through it. It felt like her shoulder was on fire. Tears started to fall down her face from the pain. Pintel started rowing while the skinny one made sure the two girls didn't escape.

"Can you tell how deep the bullet went?" the skinny one asked. Lydia shook her head. All she knew that that the wound felt like it was on fire. When they reached the ship, a rope ladder was tossed down towards them. Pintel climbed up and motioned for the girls to climb up. Elizabeth did so with ease, but the moment Lydia moved her arm, a sharp pain shot through her shoulder. She scream and clutched her shoulder. The skinny one took her said and said, "I'll help you up. Just use your good arm to get up." Lydia did as instructed (though she had no idea why this pirate was suddenly showing her a bit of kindness when he had been threatening her less than an hour ago). She climbed onto the deck of the ship with the skinny pirate close behind. A large, branded black pirate walked up to them.

"I didn't know we was takin' on captives," he said, his voice deep and intimidating.

"They've invoke the right of parley with Captain Barbossa," Pintel said. Elizabeth burst from Pintel's grasp.

"I am here to negotiate-" she was cut off when the branded pirate backhanded Elizabeth. Lydia gasped and tried to run towards her sister, but the pain in her shoulder and the skinny pirate's grasp stopped her.

"You will speak when spoken to," the branded pirate snapped. Suddenly another man grabbed his wrist. The large, feathered hat and the finer attire immediately told Lydia that this man was Captain Barbossa. He had long, straight auburn hair with very faint streaks of grey. His blue eyes glared at the branded man.

"And ye not lay a hand on those under the protection of parley," he said.

"Aye, sir," the branded pirate said. Barbossa let go of his wrist and turned to Elizabeth.

"My apologies, Miss," he said. He looked over at Lydia, and her heart almost immediately stopped. Barbossa sighed and looked at the two pirates that brought her aboard. "You two do realize that those under the protection of parley are not to be harmed, correct?"

"It was a cross fire, sir," Pintel said. "Neither of us shot her."

"Captain Barbossa," Elizabeth started, her voice void of any hesitation. "I am here to negotiate the cessation of hostilities against Port Royal."

"There are a lot of long words in there, Miss. We're naught but humble pirates," Barbossa responded with a laugh. "What is it that you want?"

"I want you to leave and never come back," Elizabeth said. The entire ship started to laugh at Elizabeth.

"I'm disinclined to acquiesce to your request," Barbossa said. He leaned a bit closer and said, "Means 'no.'"

"Very well," Elizabeth said. She ripped off the medallion and dangled it over the sea. "I'll drop it."

"Me holds are burstin' with swag. That bit of shine matters to us?" Barbossa said, glancing around his crew. His eyes rested on Lydia longer than she would have liked. He then turned to Elizabeth and asked, "Why?"

"It's what you've been searching for. I recognized the ship. I saw it eight years ago on the crossing from England," Elizabeth said. Lydia leaned on the edge of the deck for support. The pain in her arm was starting to blur her vision.

"Did ya, now?" Elizabeth looked around and sighed.

"Fine," she said. "Well, I suppose if it is worthless then there's no point in me keeping it." She let it slide out of her fingers a bit and all of the pirates lunged forwards. Elizabeth smirked and brought the medallion to her as Barbossa walked up to her, chuckling.

"You have a name, Missy?" Barbossa asked.

"Elizabeth Turner," she said. Lydia narrowed her eyes ever so slightly, but then realized she was keeping her identity secret. "I'm a maid at the Governor's household." Barbossa seemed to widen his eyes and turned to his crew.

"Miss Turner," he said. The pirates looked around at one another. She heard one of them say, 'bootstrap.' Barbossa turned to Lydia. "And what about you?"

"Lydia Selwyn," she said. "A-Also a maid in the Governor's household." Barbossa turned back to Elizabeth.

"And how does a maid come to own a trinket such as that? Family heirloom, perhaps?" Barbossa asked.

"I didn't steal it, if that's what you mean," Elizabeth snapped. Barbossa held out his hand.

"Very well. You hand it over and we'll put your town to our rudder and ne'er return." Elizabeth glanced down at his hand and then dropped the medallion into it. Barbossa handed the coin to the monkey on his shoulder, and the little monkey jumped up into the mast. Elizabeth looked from the monkey to Barbossa.

"Our bargain?" Barbossa turned away and nodded at the pirate with the brands. That pirate began shouting orders, yet it didn't seem like anyone as organizing a return to shore for the sisters. Lydia followed Elizabeth as she stormed towards Barbossa. "Wait! You have to take us to shore. According to the Code of the Order of the Brethren-"

Barbossa turned around and shouted, "First, your return to shore was not part out our negotiations nor our agreement so I must do nothing. And secondly, you must be a pirate for the pirate's code to apply and you're not. And thirdly, the code is more of what you'd call guidelines than actual rules." Lydia let out a shaky breath at those words. She and Elizabeth exchanged glances. "Welcome aboard the Black Pearl, Miss Turner and Miss Selwyn." The skinny pirate and Pintel grabbed Elizabeth by the arms and took her away from Lydia.

Barbossa looked at Lydia and then glanced at her shoulder. she didn't look at it- she didn't want to see all of the blood and the wound. "You'd better come with me Miss Selwyn. The bullet needs to come out to heal right." Barbossa took Lydia's good arm and took her into what she assumed was his cabin. He pulled out a chair and simply said, "Sit." Lydia sat down and bit her lower lip. Barbossa left the room. A few moments later, Barbossa came back with a rag, a long strip of cloth, a bowl of either water or rum, and a knife. "I'm not gonna lie; this is going to hurt like Hell." He handed her the rag. "Put it in your mouth. It's to make sure you don't bite off your tongue." Lydia's eyes widened in shocked. Barbossa merely rolled his eyes and muttered, "Women..."

Lydia put the rag in her mouth and immediately tasted the dirt and grime on it. He glanced down at her dressing down and said, "It's going to have to come down. Unless modesty is a higher concern than the bullet in your shoulder."

"I-I..." Barbossa shook his head.

"I've seen many bare-chested women with far more cleavage. You're nothin' special," he said. Lydia furrowed her brow.

"Well thanks," she muttered.

"So you are capable of speech," he said. He pulled down the sleeve of her dressing gown down and manipulated her arm out of it. Lydia felt sick at the sight of her bloodstained nightgown and the wound on her arm. He looked at the wound and back at Lydia. "I've seen worse. You're lucky it was the right shoulder. You'd be dead if it were the left." He dipped another rag into the bowl of either water or rum and cleaned the wound. Lydia let out a hiss of pain. It was definitely rum; she felt the sting of alcohol.

When the wound was cleaned, Barbossa took out the knife. Lydia saw it and paled. Without so much as a warning, he stuck the knife in the bullet wound as he searched for the bullet. Lydia bit down on the rang and screamed. The pain was unbelievable. Not only was the sensation of the knife and bullet in her just plain bizarre, but every time the knife there was a new jolt of pain in her shoulder. It felt as if it were on fire. After a few minutes, she felt Barbossa stick a finger in shoulder. "Got it," he said. He took out the bullet and it fell to the table with a clink. Lydia felt the wound start to bleed. Barbossa ripped the strip of cloth and stuffed some of it in the wound. He then used the rest of the strip to wrap her shoulder. "You'll be fine."

"T-Thank you," Lydia said. Barbossa rolled his eyes and grabbed her left arm. He led her into a different cabin and shoved her inside. He slammed the door behind her and locked the door. Lydia looked in the corner and saw Elizabeth run towards. She hugged Lydia and she let out a hiss of pain.

"Are you alright? What did he do to you?"

"He took the bullet out of my shoulder," Lydia said. She looked at the door and fell to the ground, letting tears fall as the situation she and Elizabeth were in hit her.

She was trapped on a ship full of pirates.


	6. Curse of the Black Pearl: Chapter 5

Kitty awoke the next moment in the barricaded office with Alice and her father. She at once stood up and unbarricaded the doors. She walked out the door and took two steps before Commodore Norrington nearly ran into her. "Did Lydia and Elizabeth-"

"No."

That single word stung her like tiny beads of ice impaling every inch of her flesh. "I'm very sorry Miss Swann. I assure you and the governor that my forces will find your sisters."

"Yes... I'm very sure you will..." Kitty mumbled before turning to the room and slowly walking inside. She looked and saw that her sister had awakened.

"Did they-"

"No," Kitty replied in a somber voice. A tear started forming in her left eye, and then rolled down her cheek. Alice bit her lip in an attempt to stay strong and not cry. "I really hope that they are okay."

"Lydia has brains and Elizabeth can help her fight off anything," Alice reminded her. "They're the dynamic duo."

"I know," Kitty sobbed.

"It'll be alright," Alice reassured her sister. The governor looked around the room as he began to wake up. He sighed as he looked at his two youngest daughters.

"They didn't make it, did they?" Governor Swann asked. Kitty and Alice shook their heads. He lowered his head and sighed once more. "I'm sure Commodore Norrington will try his hardest to get them back here. They can fend for themselves for the most part."

"I agree." Kitty turned around and saw Norrington in front of the frame of the door. "And I promise I will try my hardest to find your daughters." Governor Swann turned to Norrington and gave a slight half nod.

"I give you my thanks Commodore," Governor Swann thanked Norrington. Norrington gave a nod to Governor Swann, who had exited the room shortly after said nod was received. Norrington stepped out of the room, but quickly turned around and looked at Kitty and Alice.

"Are the two of you coming?" he asked them.

"Aye Commodore Over-Concerned," Alice snorted under her breath. Norrington narrow and made a low growl under his breath. He turned on his heel and left the room, followed by Kitty. Though Kitty never looked behind her, she could tell Alice was a further distance behind her due to her extreme dislike of Norrington. As they exited the fort, Kitty saw the total damage in the bright sunlight in her home of Port Royal.

Dead bodies littered the streets. The wounded were getting tended to, and the wounded included women and children as well as men. Most buildings had been damaged in the process of the pirate raid, but only of few were completely destroyed. At the docks ships were either damaged or sunken... well except for the military ships which had somehow gotten out of the escapade undamaged.

She followed Norrington as he walked to what seemed to be a pavilion. Her father was already there as well as several other military men. Kitty followed Norrington up to the pavilion and stood next to him as he went over battle strategies for getting Elizabeth back and getting rid of the pirates which took her. Kitty paid little attention to this. Her mind was in other places, which for some reason shut off her ears. The world went on around her, but her mind remained in a separate universe. She gazed at the hurt people. One man had an arm that was hanging by a single thread of skin. A woman lied on the ground, unknown to Kitty if she was dead or unconscious. Suddenly she felt Will Turner walk by her and right to Norrington.

"They've taken her. They've taken Elizabeth," Will told them.

"We've figured that out Turner," Alice muttered. "And in case you haven't forgotten Lydia was taken too."

"Murtogg remove this man," Norrington ordered.

"We have to hunt them down... we have to save them," Will protested.

"And where do you propose we start?" Governor Swann asked. Kitty could tell her father's patience was hanging by a mere thread. Kitty merely remained silent. "If you have any information regarding my daughters, please share it."

"Jack Sparrow," Alice suddenly said.

"What?" Kitty asked.

"Jack Sparrow talked about the Black Pearl. It was the Black Pearl which attacked," Alice stated. "Why didn't I remember sooner!"

"He didn't talk about... he mentioned it, is more what he did," Mullroy corrected.

"He did more than mentioned it. You were there," Alice hissed.

"Ask him where it is. He can find it. Make a deal with him," Will proposed. Norrington sighed and looked at Will and Alice.

"Tell me Miss Swann, is Sparrow still here?" Norrington asked.

"Yes, but-"

"There. He is still here. The pirates which attacked left him locked in his cell, ergo they are not his allies," Norrington pointed out with narrowed eyes. He turned back to Governor. "Now, if we take this course we should-" Suddenly, Will's hatchet slammed into the nautical charts on the wooden table.

"That's not good enough!" he shouted. Norrington growled under his breath as he removed the hatchet from the table.

"Mr. Turner," Norrington started. "You are neither a military man nor a sailor. You are a blacksmith, and this is not the time for rash actions." He walked closer to Will and murmured to him in a low voice, "Do not make the mistake of thinking you're the only man here who cares for Elizabeth." He gave Will his hatchet and Will promptly took it and left. Alice glared at Norrington and shook her head.

"You may be a Commodore, but you still lack the capacity to understand that sometimes the law can be obsolete in the face of good," Alice told him. She then turned on her heel and left, leaving Norrington stunned at her words. Norrington turned to Governor Swann.

"Your youngest daughter is far too outspoken," Norrington stated. Kitty shook her head as Alice ran after Will.

"And then there was one," she muttered to herself. "Perhaps I should go. This isn't my place."

"Katherine, I have no issue with your staying here and I'm sure the Governor would prefer for his daughter to remain in his company in light of recent events," Norrington said. Kitty looked up at her father, who nodded. Kitty let out a faint smile and sat down on a stool near the map. She listened as Norrington and his men organized a plan for recovering Lydia and Elizabeth. All she could do right now was pray that her sisters were alright and that Alice wouldn't do anything rash or stupid.

* * *

 

"Will! Wait!" Alice called out. Will turned to Alice in confusion. "You're talking to Sparrow, and I want to come."

"Why? Your father wouldn't approve," Will said.

"Since when have I done something while worrying of what my father would think?" Alice asked. Will tried to name a time, but failed to come up with any.

"True..." Alice smirked as she followed Will towards the prison, where Captain Jack Sparrow was being held. With Alice's position and words, the guards let the two through easily and without much questioning. When they arrived to the cell, there was a bone in the keyhole, and Jack Sparrow was lying on the floor of the cell.

"Really Sparrow?" Alice asked. Jack looked up at her in both relief and confusion. "You use a bone to try and pick the lock? I thought you were better than that."

"I get overestimated all the time, love," he replied. Will walked closer to the cell.

"Are you familiar with the Black Pearl?" Will asked. Jack turned to Will and a slight smirk.

"I've heard of it," the pirate responded.

"Where does it make berth?" Will asked. Jack sat up a bit more.

"Where does it make berth?" Jack repeated with a hint of shock in his voice. "Have you not heard the stories?"

"The Black Pearl makes berth on the Isla de Muerta, a place that can only be found by those who already know where it is!" Alice snapped. "Honestly Will, if you wanted to know that you could have asked me."

"The ship is real, thus it's anchorage must be a real place. Where is it?" Will questioned again.

"Will, we just told you, it-"

"Why ask me?" Both Will and Alice turned to Jack, who was now pretending to scan his fingernails for dirt... dirt which was all too existent.

"Because you're a pirate," Will answered.

"The lass knew of where it made berth," Jack pointed out.

"Yes, but Alice is the daughter of a governor who likes reading about pirates too much. You're an actual pirate. It makes a difference," Will argued.

"And you want to turn pirate yourselves?" Jack asked.

"Never!" Will snapped.

"Well..." Alice muttered. Will narrowed his eyes at Alice. Alice sighed and muttered, "No." There was a short silence before Will spoke.

"They took the second eldest Miss Swann and her elder sister," Will admitted.

"So it is that you've found a girl then?" Jack asked with a smirk. Alice couldn't resist in smirking along with the pirate. "Well, if you want to brave all, hasten to her rescue and win fair lady's heart, you'll have to do it alone mate. I see no profit for me."

"We can release you," Alice replied. Jack suddenly looked more interested.

"The key ran off," Jack replied.

"I helped make these cells," Will started. "These are half-pin barrel hinges. With the right amount of leverage and the proper application of strength... it'll break free." As he explained this, he grabbed a bench and hooked onto the bottom of the cell. Jack looked from Will, to the bench, to Alice, and then back to Will.

"I know your name Miss Swann, but I don't know the name of this lad here," Jack said.

"It's Will Turner," Alice told Jack. Jack's eyes lit up somewhat, to Alice's confusion.

"That'll be short for William I imagine," Jack commented. "Good strong name. No doubt named for your father, eh?" Will's eyes turned to confused eyes.

"Yes," he replied. Jack drew in a breath before speaking again.

"You know what, I changed me mind," Jack told the two. "If you spring me from here I swear on pain of death that I shall take you to the Black Pearl and assist in the rescue of your bonny lass Mr. Turner, and your sisters Miss Swann." He put his hand through the bars of the cells. "Do we have an accord." Will hesitantly shook Jack's hand. Jack looked at Alice expectantly. She not-so-hesitantly shook his hand, feeling a slight coldness to that area once her hand left his.

"Great. Now get me out." Will pushed against the bench and at once the cell doors broke.

"Hurry, someone will have heard that," Will told Alice and Jack.

"Not without my effects!" Jack snapped. He quickly grabbed his sword, pistol, various other items, and most importantly his hat. Quickly and swiftly the three made their way out of the prison, and with Alice's knowledge of the corridors that surprised both Jack and Will, they avoided any confrontations from prison guards. "You're bloody brilliant Miss Swann," Jack told her as they left the prison.

"I do my best," Alice replied.

"It's kind of scary how much you know about the prisons Miss Swann," Will added on. Alice shrugged before replying to that.

"I come down here when I'm bored," Alice explained. Jack looked at Alice in an odd fashion.

"I'm not entirely sure that coming down to prisons when bored is a good habit," Jack said.

"I'm the misfit of the Swann family. I don't give a damn about propriety, and I'm considered too outspoken," Alice told Jack. "Now where the hell are we going, Sparrow?" Both the men with her look thoroughly shocked at her language use, but said nothing as Jack led the way to the docks. All three of them hid under a bridge as military men ran across, most likely to find Jack Sparrow. Jack pointed over to the HMS Dauntless.

"That ship? We're going to steal that ship?" Will asked.

"It's commandeer, Turner. We're apparently going to _commandeer_ that ship," Alice corrected.

"Aye. It's a nautical term," Jack agreed. "One question before we proceed, how far are you two willing to go to save these two girls?"

"I'd die for Elizabeth," Will told Jack. Jack turned to Alice with expectant eyes.

"I would do almost anything for my sisters, but I'm not going to be cliche and say I'd die for them," Alice answered.

"Good. No problems then," Jack muttered.

"One question Sparrow," Alice started. "How the hell are we getting to the _Dauntless_?" Jack smirked as he pointed to the longboats on the shore. "If we're going to sail to the _Dauntless_ , then we'll be seen, hence it's a bad plan."

"Who said we were sailing the longboats?" Jack asked with a wider smirk. "No, we're going to put the boat over our heads and walk through the water to the ship." Alice smirked with him and nodded her head.

"That is a far better plan than the other one," Alice replied. Jack nodded and turned back to the boats. He scanned the area, and quickly scurried to a longboat. He lifted it up on the side and motioned for Alice and will to go under the boat. Once they were under Jack went under. He was crouched in the front of the longboat, followed by Alice and Will respectively. They waited a few seconds for a few military men to pass by, and then they went into the water. The initial shock of cold water made Alice shiver, thought Will and Jack seemed unaffected. The water stayed outside of the upside-down longboat, giving them an underwater air-pocket. They kept walking for a short while until Will started to talk.

"This is either madness, or brilliance," Will said.

"Yes, remarkable how often those two traits coincide," Jack agreed.

"I concur," Alice said. Jack turned his head slightly to face her. Their eyes met for an instant before Jack nodded his head slightly and turned back to the front. Then a loud crack was heard, and Alice looked down to see Will's foot caught in a lobster trap. "Nicely done Turner," Alice commented as Will tried to get the trap off of his foot.

"Can you please not mention this?" Will asked Alice. Alice thought for a mere second before she gave her short, disappointing reply.

"Nope." Will groaned and continued to attempt to get the lobster trap off his foot. Jack let out a ghost of a laugh.

"You're different from other ladies, aren't you Miss Swann?" he inquired.

"You're just now figuring that out Sparrow?" she replied. She could mentally feel Jack roll his eyes and continue onward. They walked a few more steps before Jack halted. Alice slightly ran into Jack, and Will slightly into her. "So what now?"

"Get into the boat while we flip it before it reaches the surface. I would hold your breath if I were you," Jack told the two. All three took in air while they flipped the boat. All three were able to hop into the boat before it reached the surface. When the boat reached the surface, all three took in air they were deprived of for many moments. They were right in front of the back of the HMS Dauntless.

"You, my friend, are the best pirate I have ever seen," Alice said. Alice saw Jack smile and tip his hat to her.

"Glad to hear that," he replied. Alice quickly discarded her heeled shoes overboard, causing strange glances towards from Jack and Will.

"What? If we're climbing up the side of the ship, which is what I assume we're doing, those shoes will do nothing to help," Alice explained with slight annoyance. Jack and Will shrugged in agreement, causing a smirk to emerge from Alice. Jack quickly jumped out of the boat and pushed it to the wall of the ship they were going to climb. Jack was the first to start climbing, followed by Will, and then Alice. The entire climb up was fairly uneventful due to the fact that no one slipped once while climbing. As the three climbed over the edge of the ship onto the deck, Jack handed Alice a dagger. The next moment Jack and Will drew swords. "Wait- when did Will get a sword?"

"I've had it all day," Will told her. "You didn't notice until now?"

"Apparently not," Alice muttered. Suddenly Jack turned to Alice and motioned for her to stay low and quiet.

"It wouldn't do me much good for them to think I kidnapped the youngest daughter of the Governor," Jack explained before Alice could protest. Alice nodded reluctantly and listened as Jack shouted, "Everyone stay calm! We are taking over this ship."

"Aye!" Will added. "Avast!" Alice face-palmed herself at Will's words. _Turner you idiot!_ The crew laughed and Alice could hear the voice of a marine who once tried to court her, Gillette.

"This ship cannot be crewed by two men," he told them. "You'll never make it out of the bay." Alice then heard the sound of a pistol being readied for fire and she smirked.

"I'm Captain Jack Sparrow," Jack said. "Savvy?" Alice smiled as she heard Gillette call out an order to abandon ship. She stepped out from where she was hiding and laughed.

"Miss Swann!?" Gillette shouted when he saw her. Alice performed a mocking salute and motioned for him to get in the longboat. Alice rolled her eyes and smiled.

This was going to be absolutely brilliant.

* * *

 

Norrington was currently observing the HMS Interceptor as it was being readied for sail. It was almost done to the point where maybe one or two men could crew it. Kitty Swann was currently by his side, as Governor Swann was out looking for her sister Alice Swann. Though the youngest Swann was a nuisance in his opinion, he had to keep it to himself due to her status in society. He focused once again at he when Groves gasped and shouted, "Commodore!" Norrington and Kitty turned around at the same time to see Gillette and the other crew members of the Dauntless. Norrington looked through his spyglass to see Gillette pointing at the ship and shouting.

"They've taken the ship!" he shouted. "Sparrow, Turner and Alice Swann! They've taken the Dauntless!"

"Did he just say Alice?" Kitty asked. Norrington nodded and looked back at the ship to see Will flinging around some ropes, Jack appearing to yell at him, and Alice also yelling and making large hand-motions.

"Rash, Turner. Too rash," Norrington said. "And is it sad that I'm not surprised at your sister's actions, Katherine?"

"Unfortunately, no," Kitty responded.

"That is without doubt the worst pirate I've ever seen," Norrington muttered. "Get to the Interceptor, now! We must reclaim the Dauntless." The military men ran onto the interceptor and Norrington prepared to board. Kitty began to follow Norrington, when Norrington stopped her.

"Katherine, I apologize but you cannot come along on this endeavor," Norrington told her.

"Fine," she said. "I shall just find my father an tell him of Alice's actions then." Norrington nodded and shouted out his first order to the crew of the Interceptor that day as he boarded the ship.

"To the Dauntless!"

* * *

 

Alice looked from the Interceptor, which was now coming towards them. Jack had just briefed then on the second part of their plan. "Here they come," Will said.

"Aye," Jack replied. "Now come on! Let's hide near the ropes." They scurried over to a hidden part of the ship, each person holding a rope in their hands. They listened as the Interceptor was brought close to the Dauntless, as as the crew of the Interceptor boarded the Dauntless.

"I want every part of the ship searched. Everything from the deck down to the bilges," Norrington ordered. Alice smirked as she, Jack, and Will took this chance to swing over to the Interceptor. Alice followed Jack as will cut the lines from the Interceptor to the Dauntless. The began to sail out of the bay. Alice watched as Commodore Norrington realized what had happened and watch as one man tried to swing back onto the ship, only to fall in the water.

"Thank you for preparing the ship Commodore! We would have had a hard time doing it ourselves," Jack shouted. Alice laughed with Jack.

"How long before they realize the rudder chain is disabled?" Alice asked. Jack and Will turned to her in shock.

"You disabled the rudder chain?" Jack asked. Alice smirked and nodded. "Are you sure you weren't born a pirate?"

"Positive," Alice replied. Jack thought for a minute and smiled.

"Well, you should've been." Alice laughed with Jack as they saw the former crew of the Dauntless abandon ship as the Dauntless ran over the longboat. Jack laughed as they sailed out of the bay and into the ocean. "Welcome the the Caribbean!" he shouted. She smiled a large smile and looked out into the sea. She was finally having her first big adventure. She knew they'd be successful; they would save Lydia and Elizabeth.


	7. Curse of the Black Pearl: Chapter 6

Alice went down below the deck of the _Interceptor_ and search for spare clothing. She didn't want to be stuck in a dress the entire time. She rooted through some chests with the belongings of the marines who were supposed to use this vessel to hunt for the Black Pearl. It took time, but she eventually found some clothes that were small enough to fit her. Even then, they were still too big for Alice's tiny frame. She eventually found a white shirt that didn't fall off her shoulders, a brown vest that was still loose on her, and some breeches that managed to stay on her hips. She had no intention of shoving her feet into a marine's sweaty, gross boots, so she went barefoot for the time being.

Alice walked back up the stairs and onto the deck where Will sat sharpening his sword and Jack adjusted some of the rigging. "When I was lad living in England, my mother raised me by herself. After she died, I came out here, looking for my father."

"Is that so?" Jack asked.

"My father, Will Turner," Will said as he stood up. He followed Jack up the deck and to a rope that Jack apparently needed to adjust. "At the jail, it was only after you learned my name that you agreed to help. Since that's what I wanted, I didn't press the matter. I'm not a simpleton, Jack. You knew my father."Alice leaned against the mast and watched the scene unfold. Now wasn't the time to intervene. Jack sighed and looked at Will.

"I knew 'im. Probably one of the few who knew him as William Turner. Everyone just called him Bootstrap or Bootstrap Bill," Jack said.

"Bootstrap?" Will asked. Jack walked over the steering wheel and grabbed the wheel.

"Good man," Jack said. "Good pirate." Alice dropped her jaw and looked up at Will, who shared her look of disbelief. Jack turned to Will and said, "I swear, you look just like him."

"You never told me your father was a pirate," Alice said.

"It's not true," Will said. "He was a merchant sailor. A good, respectable man who obeyed the law." Jack rolled his eyes and turned around.

"He was a bloody pirate, a scallywag," he said.

"My father was _not_ a pirate!" Will insisted. He drew his sword and pointed it at Jack.

"Put it away, son. It's not worth you getting beat again," Jack said, not even turning around to look at Will. Alice continued to say nothing and merely stood, watching the scene. This was obviously a tense moment for Will.

"You didn't beat me," Will growled, glaring daggers into the back of Jack's head. "You ignored the rules of engagement. In a fair fight, I'd killed you."

"Then that's not much incentive for me to fight fair, then, is it?" Jack said. He swung the wheel and the yard of the rear sail slammed into Will. He wrapped his arms around the yard and held on as he was swung out over the sea. Alice started laughing hysterically at the humorous scene in front of her. Will glared at Alice and shook his head. Alice merely shrugged and leaned against a railing. Jack drew a sword and walked over by the edge of the ship where Will now hung."Now, as long as you're just hanging there, pay attention. The only rules that really matter are these: what a man can do and what a man can't do. For instance, you can accept that your father was a pirate and a good man or you can't. But pirate is in your blood, boy, so you'll have to square with that someday. Now, me, for example, I can let you drown but I can't bring this ship into Tortuga all by me onesy, savvy?"

"Um, hey, I still exist here, Sparrow," Alice interjected. Jack looked from Will to Alice.

"Yes, but you're tiny," he said. He looked back at Will, ignoring Alice's dropped jaw. "So," he said as he swung the wheel once again and brought the sail back over the ship. Will dropped to the ground and Jack walked up to him, sword drawn. "Can you sail under the command of a pirate?" Jack flipped the sword so the handle was facing Will. "Or can you not?" Will took the sword and looked up at Jack.

"Tortuga?" he asked.

"Tortuga," Jack replied. He turned on his heel and looked Alice up and down. "You know how to use a sword?"

"I was a noblewoman," Alice replied.

"Yet you know prisons like the back of your hand," he replied. Alice shrugged.

"True..." she muttered. "I can use a sword, but I wouldn't considered myself a skilled swordswoman. I know enough to get me by."

"Wait," Will said as he stood up. "Who taught you? I kept telling you no whenever you asked me."

"Gillette, actually," Alice said. "He fancied me and I took advantage of it. The only reason he agreed to teach me was because I used the cliché, 'you must be so brave' act." She snorted loudly and shook her head. "Gentlemen are so easy to fool with a pretty face." Jack smirked and nodded.

"You were definitely born to be a pirate," he said. Alice smiled and laughed. Jack took a dagger from his belt and handed it to Alice. "Keep that on you at all times, especially in Tortuga."

"Aye, Captain," she said. She stuck the dagger in her belt. "So... the ocean. It's very... ocean-y." Jack and Will furrowed their brows and stared blankly at Alice. She bit her lower lip and nodded. "Yep. Ocean-y." _Wow. Seriously Al? The only thing you could think of saying was 'the ocean is ocean-y?' Smooth..._ She thought, attempting to ignore the confused looks from Jack and Will.

"Really?" Jack asked with a chuckle. "Ocean-y?"

"Shut up," she snapped, rolling her eyes. "How long till we get to Tortuga?"

"About two days," he said. Alice sighed and turned towards the hold. "Where are you going?"

"To practice with this toothpick of a weapon you gave me," Alice shouted back, still walking confidently to the hold of the ship. She could practice on sacks of whatever and barrels of who-knows-what.

* * *

"She did WHAT!?" Kitty looked down, not wanting to see this side of her father. It was common for him to be upset with Alice for one thing or another, but she had never seen her father like this. She had never heard his voice contain so much rage nor his eyes so much fury.

"She helped Will Turner break Sparrow out of prison and commandeer the _Dauntless_ ," she repeated. "I can scarcely believe it myself, but at the same time I feel that we should have expected this out of her." Governor Swann rubbed his temples. He muttered something incoherent under his breath; though Kitty was able to catch the name, "Alice" in there several times.

"Perfect," he grumbled. "First my two eldest are captured by pirates, then my youngest decides to go gallivanting in the Caribbean with a blacksmith and a pirate!"There was a knock on the door . Kitty turned around and glanced at the door. "Would you get that, Kitty?" Kitty nodded and grasped the ornate gold handle. When she opened the door, Commodore Norrington stood before.

"Good afternoon, Commodore," Kitty greeted, as was custom. Norrington gave Kitty and polite nod.

"Commodore," Governor Swann started, "Were you able to catch the _Dauntless_?"

"We caught the _Dauntless_ ," Norrington said with venom in his voice. Kitty raised an eyebrow, confused as to why he was using that tone. "But then Sparrow, Turner, and your youngest boarded the _Interceptor_ and escaped."

"They did what?" Kitty gasped. She covered her mouth with her hand to hide her dropped jaw.

"I could scarcely believe it myself," Norrington said, his face and voice cold and stern. "Before they left the _Dauntless_ , however, they disabled the rudder chain. That needs to be repaired before we can set sail to find Lydia and Elizabeth, and I suppose now we must find Alice as well."

"How long will it take," the Governor asked, his tone lined with concern and fury. Kitty sat down in a chair in the corner of the study watching the conversation quietly and intently.

"No more than three days," he reported. "I have the best shipwrights working on it at this very moment."

"Three days behind," Governor Swann muttered.

"I do not enjoy this delay either. However, the rudder chain is crucial to making sure we sail properly," Norrington said.

"While the repairs are being made, make sure accommodations are prepared for Kitty," Governor Swann ordered. Norrington raised an eyebrow. Kitty snapped her head up and stared wide-eyed at her father. What did he mean by "accommodations for Kitty?"

"What?" Kitty asked.

"Governor-" Norrington started, but Governor Swann raised a hand to quiet him.

"Commodore, I have lost three of my daughters within two days. I wish to keep my remaining one close by," Governor Swann explained. "Accommodations can be made for Kitty to travel with us?" Norrington seemed to ponder this for a moment and sighed.

"Under normal circumstances we would not allow women travel on a naval mission. However, an exception can be made in this case, as Katherine has no other guardian in Port Royal and would be without protection," Norrington said. "After all, we cannot leave the daughter of the Governor alone with pirates seemingly drawn to your family."

"Thank you, Commodore," Governor Swann said. "Now, I have business I need to attend to. Kitty, could you escort Commodore Norrington out and leave me be until dinner?"

"Yes, Father," she said dutifully. She turned around and opened the door to the hallway. Norrington followed suit and motioned for Kitty to go while he held the door, as was fitting of a gentleman. They walked down the hallway silently. Kitty finally spoke up after a few minutes. "Thank you for allowing me to accompany you on the journey to find my sisters. I will try not to be a distraction or a nuisance in anyway."

"The last time I was on a ship with you was when you were ten, Katherine," Norrington said. Katherine let out a faint smile. "You and Alice were constantly making mischief."

"We were bored children. I cared merely for fun and music," she retorted with a soft smile. She let out a faint chuckle. "Alice came up with most of the ideas; I just helped because I thought of it as a game."

"It may have been funny for you and the crew," Norrington said. "It was not so funny to me and the Captain." Kitty turned to Norrington with a teasing smirk.

"If I recall correctly, the Captain encouraged Alice on more than one occasion." Norrington raised an eyebrow and let out a light laugh.

"Really? Because I have no recollection of this so-called 'encouragement.' I seem to remember him complaining to me." Kitty paused and shook her head.

"Who was the one truly complain? You or him? Perhaps he merely agreed with you to get you to be quiet," Kitty said. Norrington sighed and turned to Kitty.

"Katherine, one of these days your wit is going to get you into trouble," he said with a teasing smirk.

"Yet you and most others seem to find it more endearing than annoying," she countered. A silence hung between the two for a few moments. Kitty could swear she felt her heartbeat speed up. For a moment, she could swear she had gotten lost in his eyes.

"Perhaps." They continued into the foyer, where a butler stood ready to open the door. "Though I did not enjoy the fact that most of said jokes were on me."

"Alice is more to blame for that," Kitty said. They stood in front of the door. "I shall see you in three days time, then. Or sooner should you need to discuss something with my father."

"Three days, then," he said. "Farewell, Katherine." He turned on his heel and exited the estate. Kitty sighed and shook her head. If he was to marry her sister she needed to get rid of the romantic feelings she had for him. She walked up the stairs to her bedroom. After all, she needed to prepare for a journey at sea.

* * *

Lydia woke up the next morning half expecting to be in her room. Part of her hoped that the events of the previous night had been nothing more than a nightmare. Her faint hope had been crushed as soon as she moved her right arm. She let out a groan as a sharp pain shot down her arm and through her shoulder. She felt Elizabeth run up behind her and help her up. "Thank you." Elizabeth merely nodded. The two sisters sat in a terrifying silence. "Have any of them come in since last night?"

"No," she said. Lydia ran a hand through her hair with her good arm and shook her head.

"I can't believe this," she said. "How are we going to escape? We're in the middle of the ocean!"

"We don't," Elizabeth said coldly. "We can't; not until we get to land."

"And even then it'll be difficult to get back to Port Royal," Lydia added. "Not to mention I have a bad arm now." She sighed and leaned against the wall. She looked at her wrapped shoulder. Blood and dirt stained the white wrappings. "If there is a chance to escape, take it, Elizabeth."

"I won't leave you behind," she snapped. Suddenly the door opened and the skinny pirate (Lydia was almost sure his name was Ragetti) entered. His single eye darted to Lydia.

"The Captain wants to see you," he said. "Probably about that shoulder." Lydia nodded and stood up. She looked over at her sister for a moment before turning to Ragetti. She quietly followed him out of the storage room they were thrown in and onto the deck of the ship. Her appearance on the deck earned her many glances from the ragged, dirty crew... and she certainly didn't like some of the more lustful glances.

Lydia gulped and looked down, avoiding their gazes. They walked into the same cabin where Barbossa had removed the bullet from her shoulder. This was probably the Captain's cabin then. She looked up and saw Barbossa coming towards her wearing his large, ostrich-feathered hat. He sure loved his hats...

"The shoulder," he said. Lydia raised an eyebrow in confusion. It didn't sound like a question and she wasn't entirely sure of what he wanted.

"It still hurts?"

"Of course it would, idiot girl," he snapped. "I need to _see_ the shoulder." Lydia flushed when she finally understood his meaning. She glanced awkwardly at Ragetti. Barbossa seemed to notice this and sighed in annoyance. "Ragetti, wait outside." The one-eyed pirate nodded sheepishly and darted out of the room. He knew better than to anger his captain. Lydia worked her injured arm out of the sleeve of her nightgown. Barbossa took the edge of the fabric binding her wound and started to unravel it. The dried blood from the fabric stained his hands, but he seemed to care little about the blood or her breasts. She was glad for that... it saved the small bit of pride that lurked in the corner of her mind.

Barbossa looked at the wound on her shoulder and inspected it. "Doesn't look infected right now, but it could easily become just that." Lydia remained silent. The captain shook his head. "And you're once again mute."

"I-I just know that there is nothing to say," she responded. Barbossa let out a ghost of a laugh.

"At last, a woman who knows when to shut up," he said. Lydia narrowed her eyes. Barbossa didn't seem to notice (or if he did, he either didn't care or chose to ignore it). He grabbed a bottle of cheap whiskey and poured it on the wound. Lydia hissed in pain and clenched her fist. A light smirk graced the captain's face. Lydia wasn't sure if she should question the intentions behind the smirk. He grabbed spare cloth and wrapped the wound once more.

"Am I done here?" she asked as he tied the cloth. He pulled the knot hard and Lydia gasped in pain. She glared up at Barbossa, who was still smirking.

"Aye, lass," he said. "You're done." Lydia got up and turned to leave. "Where do you think your going?"

"I-I assumed I was going back to the room that acts as my cell," she said.

"Yes, but I feel that it'd be more entertaining to keep you and your friend apart; have her wonder whether or not I've killed you yet," he said. "And we humble pirates could do with some entertainment." Lydia let out a shaky breath and started slack jawed and wide eyed at Barbossa.

"You are a cruel man."

"But as you can plainly see, I don't care." Lydia shut her jaw and tensed it, shaking her head.

"So I'm confined to your cabin." Lydia knew the answer. It wasn't a question. Barbossa walked up to her and smirked.

"Aye, lass." He walked past her to leave his cabin. He opened the door to leave and turned to look back at her. "By the way," he said, glancing down quickly. "Your tits aren't that bad." Lydia covered her chest quickly and flushed a deep scarlet. How could she have forgotten that!? Barbossa laughed loudly. "It's entertaining to make you squirm, Miss Selwyn." He slammed the door behind him. A moment later, she heard the lock click. Lydia worked her arm back into the nightgown, failing to ignore the sharp twinges of pain in her shoulder. She sat down on the window seat near the back of the cabin and stared out at the large blue expanse of ocean she was trapped on. She took a shaky breath, wondering if she would ever get out of this alive and intact. She could only pray that Elizabeth would stay safe.


	8. Curse of the Black Pearl: Chapter 7

When they reached Tortuga, night had already fallen and the streets were rowdy with the drunken and forsaken. Scantily clad women poured bottles of rum into the mouths of dirty, horny, drunken men. People sat on giant kegs drinking while others fought in the street. Most people would detest such and area and quickly call it the home of those destined for Hell.

Then there was Alice, who absolutely loved this place.

"More importantly," Jack continued, "it is a sad life that has never breathed deep this sweet, proliferous bouquet that is Tortuga, savvy? What do you think?"

"It'll linger," Will said with a disgusted looked at a man downing multiple pints of rum. Alice smiled and looked around the place.

"Well, I could definitely get used this place," Alice said. Will dropped his jaw as he looked over at Alice. "What?"

"I will never understand you," Will said.

Alice merely shrugged and said, "No one ever understands me. Hell, I doubt I understand me sometimes."

"I'll tell you, if every town in the world were like this one, no man would ever feel unwanted," Jack said.

"If every town were like this one, the world would be a lot less boring," Alice added. Jack smiled at her and nodded. Alice looked over to see a woman in a low-cut red dress with bright red hair sauntering over to them, and she sure as Hell looked pissed.

"Scarlett!" Jack greeted. Scarlett said nothing and slapped Jack hard across the face. Alice covered her mouth and started laughing hysterically. "Not sure I deserved that," he said. When he turned around, a blonde wearing a similar dress in blue had walked up. "Giselle?"

"Who was she?"

"What?" Jack asked. The moment he had been slapped by Giselle in the same spot Scarlett had slapped him. He sighed as Giselle walked off. "I may have deserved that." Alice laughed even harder and shook her head.

"I see you're popular with the ladies here," Alice said. Jack rolled his eyes. "How many more slaps should I expect to see?"

"None... I hope..." Jack replied. He motioned for Alice and Will to follow him through the crowded and rowdy streets of Tortuga. They entered a tavern (the sign was so faded that Alice had no idea what the name of it was supposed to be) and Jack immediately started asking around for someone. It was too loud for Alice to understand a single word of what Jack (or anyone, for that matter) was supposed to be saying. She merely reveled in the energy of the tavern. There was a carefree atmosphere; an air of joy and drunkenness. She smiled, loving every second of being in this tavern. Neither the smell nor the sight of a man vomiting into some prostitute's ample bosom got to her.

Suddenly she felt Jack grab her shoulder. "Come on," he said. Alice could barely hear him, but understood well enough. She nodded and followed Jack and Will outside. They walked around the tavern to a pigsty. There in the mud lied several pigs and a single man sleeping contently. He used a pig as a pillow and held an empty bottle of what probably contained run in his loosened hand. Jack sighed and shook his head. "Drunk, as usual." He grabbed an empty bucket and walked over to the well. As soon as he started to draw water, Alice immediately knew what he was going to do. When the water was drawn, she noticed Will grabbing a second bucket. Jack walked up to the unconscious man cuddling a pig and threw the water at him. Both the man and the hogs let out loud grunts and squeals. The man jolted up, his limbs failing as if shocked, and pulled out a knife.

"Curse you for breathing you slack-jawed idiot!" he shouted. He looked up and Jack and calmed down when he seemed to recognize him. "Mother's love, Jack," he said as he put his knife away. "You should know better than to wake a man when he's sleeping. Bad luck."

"Ah," Jack said as he knelt down to the man's level. "Fortunately, I know how to counter it. The man who did the waking buys the man who was sleeping a drink. The man who was sleeping drinks it while listening to a proposition from the man who did the waking." A small smile appeared on the man's face as he nodded.

"Aye," he said. "That'll about do it." As he stood up, Will quickly threw another bucket-full of water on him. He froze in shock and shook his head. "Blast! I'm already awake!"

"That was for the smell," Will said. The now-sober man glared at Will, but then shrugged as if agreeing.

"So can I throw a bucket of water now? I'm the only one here who hasn't yet," Alice said. The man turned to Alice and narrowed his eyes.

"Alice?" he asked. "Is that you, little Alice Swann?"

"Yes?" Alice looked at the man for a moment, trying to see if she'd known him. Suddenly, it hit her. "Holy shit! Gibbs? Is that you?" Gibbs nodded. "Damn… how long has it been? Seven years since I last saw you?"

"Six," Gibbs said.

"You two know each other?" Jack asked.

"Yep," Alice said. "I doubt he could ever forget me."

"With how many times you pulled tricks on the marines, how could I?" Alice let out a rather cocky smirk and giggled. "You still causing trouble?"

"Considering I commandeered a ship and helped Jack escape from prison… I would say yes," she said with a proud smile. Gibbs widened his eyes and looked from Alice to Jack. "Trust me, I have a lot more stories."

"She does," Will added. "She really does."

"Well catching up is fun and all but I say we continue this in the Faithful Bride so I can get Gibbs the drink I owe him," Jack interrupted. He quickly turned around and left the muddy barn. Will shrugged and followed him, with Alice and Gibbs close behind. They entered the lively, jovial tavern. Alice stood by Will as Jack went to get drinks and Gibbs went to claim a table for him and Jack. Apparently Will and Alice were forbidden from entering that conversation. Jack soon passed by again with two drinks in his hand. "Keep a sharp eye out," he said to Will. "And you, pretend you're Will's son." Alice waited with Will (who was suddenly gaining the attention of most of the prostitutes) while Jack and Gibbs spoke.

"So…" Alice awkwardly said while shifting her weight between her heels and the balls of her feet. "How's life?"

"How's life?" Will asked.

"Yeah… Life? The universe? The ocean?" Alice sighed and shook her head. "Come one, there's gotta be something you want to talk about."

"Do you trust Jack?" he asked.

"Will, you know I have no trust in anyone other than myself. Only I have my best interests at heart," she said. "No one else gives two shits. How about you get me some rum?"

"I'm not getting you rum, Al," he said. He had very nearly called her 'Alice' but caught himself at the last second. She shot a warning glare towards Will.

"I'll just ask Jack and he'd get me some."

"He may have compromised morals, but they aren't _that_ compromised." Alice pursed her lips and leaned against a support beam.

"Asshole…" she muttered under her breath.

"I heard that," Will said.

"Good," Alice replied. A few moments later, Jack and Gibbs appeared by Will and Alice. "So…?"

"We'll wait on the Interceptor while Gibbs procures a crew for us. It should take no more than a week," Jack said.

"A week? I won't sit idle for a week while Elizabeth is on a ship full of pirates!"

"Don't forget about Lydia. I'm more worried about her… she has no backbone," Alice said. "You can deal with it for a week, Turner. Jack's not a miracle worker. Don't expect to have a fairy-tale ending. Now who's gonna get me some rum?" The three men stood slack-jawed at Alice's brazen words.

"I'm not sure how I feel about that," Jack said.

"Confusing people and infuriating them is what I do best," she said. "Is that a no on the rum?"

"No rum… yet," Jack said. "Back to the ship."

"Aye, Captain," Alice said with a mock salute. Jack arched an eyebrow and Alice looked down guiltily as she exited the tavern. Jack was the next to leave, followed by Will. She knew she was in for a long week. She highly doubted that Will would sit and say nothing while he waited to be Elizabeth's knight-in-shining-armor. She could only hope that her sisters would endure until they could come retrieve them. Elizabeth could handle herself; it was Lydia she was more worried about. She was too submissive to survive amongst pirates.

* * *

It had been two days. In those two days, Lydia hadn't seen any trace of the Captain aside from the few times he had come in to rewrap her shoulder. She'd learned to say nothing and let him do his job. Today, however, he came in with the usual strips of dirty cotton and something else… "What is that?" she asked, looking at the heap of red fabric in Barbossa's arms.

"You and your friend will be dining with me tonight," he said while smirking. Lydia turned away from him and stared out the window.

"And should I refuse?"

"Then you'll dine with the crew… naked." Lydia widened her grey eyes and snapped her head around to face Barbossa. He started roaring with laughter while Lydia felt her face grow hot. He tossed the lump of maroon fabric at her. She held it up in front of her. It wasn't as scandalous as she thought it would have been. She could live with it. "Get dressed." Barbossa leaned against a wall and smirked. Lydia arched an eyebrow at him.

"I'll clearly never have privacy around you, will I?"

"Never," he said with a snicker. Lydia sighed and stepped into the dress. She pulled up over her nightgown and slid her arms into the loose sleeves. It was loose in the back… meaning it was unlaced. Lydia tensed her jaw when she realized what that probably meant, which is most likely why Barbossa wanted to watch her put it on. Bastard. Lydia wouldn't let him have the upper hand this time and attempted to lace the back of the dress up herself. "Do you need help, Miss Selwyn?"

"I'm fine," Lydia hissed, trying to block out the pain in her shoulder from how awkwardly she was bending her arms. Barbossa sighed and shook his head. He walked up to her and spun her away from him.

"Allow me," he said into her ear. She could feel his hot breath and smell the stench of rum. He began to deftly lace up the back of Lydia's dress. When he finished lacing the back of the dress, he rested his hands on her hips. "There you go, lass."

"Let go of me," she said. She avoided looking at him, though she could practically feel his smirk.

"As I've said Miss Selwyn, it's entertaining to make you squirm." The door suddenly opened and Lydia tensed up. She didn't have to look to know it was the crew bringing in dinner; the wolf whistles and cat calls made it obvious enough. Lydia immediately felt herself blush. Barbossa finally let go of her and walked away. He sat down at the head of the table and rested his feet on the table. The food was now placed and candles had been lit, yet Lydia felt no sense of hunger at the sight of the delicious-looking food. How did Barbossa even get this kind of food anyway? Perhaps questioning it wasn't a good idea. Lydia paced about the room while they waited for Elizabeth to arrive. "Sit down woman." Moments later the door opened and Elizabeth was escorted inside. She was dressed in a deep plum colored dress. She saw Lydia and immediate ran up to her.

"Lyddie! When you didn't come back, I feared-"

"That I was dead? That was what he wanted," she said with a quick glance to Barbossa. The two women sat down in the other two chairs. The two looked from the food to Barbossa to each other.

"You can eat," he said, his voice tinged with annoyance. Elizabeth hesitantly picked up her fork and knife and ate in a very dainty and proper manner, as she was taught to. Lydia did the same, taking small bites. However, in Lydia's case, her small bites were due to her natural small appetite. Being on this ship only made it worse. Barbossa sighed and shook his head. "There's no need to stand on ceremony, nor call to impress anyone. The two of you must be hungry." Elizabeth ripped a leg off of the pig and started to bite into it almost aggressively. Lydia stopped using her utensils, but continued to take small bites. "Did you not hear a word I said, Selwyn?"

"I just don't eat much," she stammered. Barbossa rolled his eyes. Elizabeth grabbed a roll from the plate in the center as Barbossa began to pour wine into the goblet, following it perfectly as the ship rocked. He slid the goblet towards Lydia. She took a small sip from it, tasting the sweet yet bitter taste of it, while Barbossa poured another for Elizabeth.

"Try the wine," he said as he slid the goblet to Elizabeth. She grabbed the goblet and drank from it. "And the apples. One of those next." He held out a bright green apple and Elizabeth paused to stare at it.

"It's poisoned," she said. Barbossa chuckled and smirked.

"There would be no sense to be killing you, Miss Turner," he said.

"Then release us!" Elizabeth snapped. "You have your trinket. We're of no further value to you." Barbossa shook his head and offered the apple to Lydia. The look in his eye clearly said that refusing the apple wasn't an option. She took it and took a bite from it, the sour juice from it running down her chin. She wiped the juice off with her sleeve causing a slight twinge of pain from her shoulder. Barbossa took out the golden medallion that Elizabeth had surrendered to him.

"You don't know what this is, do you?" he asked.

"It's a pirate medallion," Elizabeth said matter-of-factly.

"This is Aztec gold," he explained. "One of 882 identical pieces they delivered in a stone chest to Cortez himself. Blood money paid to stem the slaughter he wreaked upon them with his armies. But the greed of Cortez was insatiable. So the heathen gods placed upon the gold a terrible curse. Any mortal that removes but a single piece from that stone chest shall be punished for eternity." Lydia sat transfixed by the tone of his voice as he told this story. She wasn't entirely sure why.

"I hardly believe in ghost stories anymore, Captain Barbossa," Elizabeth said, her eyes and voice cold.

"Aye," he continued. He stood up and began walking about the cabin. "That's exactly what I thought when we were first told the tale. Buried on an Island of Dead what cannot be found except for those who know where it is. Find it, we did. There be the chest. Inside be the gold. And we took 'em all." He moved around the table and leaned against the chair that Lydia sat in. However, his eyes never left Elizabeth. "We spent 'em and traded 'em and frittered 'em away on drink and food and pleasurable company. The more we gave 'em away, the more we came to realize the drink would not satisfy, food turned to ash in our mouths, and all the pleasurable company in the world could not slake our lust. We are cursed men, Misses Turner and Selwyn."

Barbossa stood up. "Compelled by greed, we were, but now we are consumed by it." The monkey acted up and started screeching and jumping. Barbossa turned his head to face the monkey and stroked its head. Lydia saw Elizabeth hide a knife in the folds of her dress. She gave Lydia a brief nod, and Lydia returned it. "There is one way we can end our curse." Barbossa gave the medallion to the monkey, who started biting it. The monkey jumped on his shoulder. "All the scattered pieces of the Aztec gold must be restored and the blood repaid." He extended his arm and the monkey jumped off and ran away. "Thanks to you, we have the final piece."

"And the blood to be repaid?" Elizabeth asked. Lydia froze and gulped looking from Barbossa to her sister.

"That's why there's no sense to be killing you… yet." Lydia and Elizabeth exchanged looks. Barbossa smirked and held out another green apple. "Apple?" Elizabeth swatted the apple out of his hand and took out the knife, holding it as if aimed kill. She ran away from him and Barbossa chased her. Lydia stood up and backed up, knocking over her chair in the process. She gasped, but knew she had given Elizabeth the distraction she needed. She buried the knife deep into Barbossa's chest. She gasped when Barbossa stood there, unaffected by the knife in his heart. Lydia tripped over the chair she knocked over and dropped her jaw, unable to form any coherent words. Barbossa grabbed the knife and pulled it out of his chest. Lydia saw that it was stained with bright crimson blood. "I'm curious. After killing me what was it you were planning on doing next?" Elizabeth breathed heavily as she backed away from Barbossa and out the door of the cabin. Lydia stood up and tried to run as far from Barbossa as possible. He immediately saw her movement and ran after her. Outside the cabin, Elizabeth screamed.

"Elizabeth!" Lydia shouted. She tried to run from Barbossa, but he grabbed her by the right arm and yanked hard. She scream as pain shot down her arm. Damn him for using her wound against her… He dragged her by the arm to the doors of the cabin. Lydia widened her eyes and covered her mouth at what she saw.

The entire crew had been transformed into decaying skeletons. She let out a shaky breath. "You poor souls," she murmured. Suddenly she felt her right arm drop. She looked up at Barbossa, who was staring at her with a mix of surprise and curiosity. Elizabeth tripped backwards into a sail. She was tossed in the air at least twice. A corpse swung from a rope and caught Elizabeth, who let out an earsplitting scream. Lydia couldn't move or make a sound. She was frozen in shock and horror. Elizabeth ran back to the cabin. Barbossa grabbed her and spun her around to face the crew.

"Look! The moonlight shows us for what we really are. We are not among the living, and so we cannot die, but neither are we dead. For too long I've been parched with thirst and unable to quench it. Too long I've been starving to death and haven't died. I feel nothing," he said. "Not the wind on my face nor the spray of the sea, nor the warmth of a woman's flesh." Elizabeth backed up. When he extended an arm towards her, it turned skeletal in the moonlight. Elizabeth gasped and jumped back. He stepped fully into the moonlight.

"You best start believing in ghost stories Miss Turner. You're in one." He uncorked a bottle of wine and spat the cork to the side. Lydia crawled outside the door to the cabin and stared in shock. He drank the wine. Lydia could only watch as the wine pour down his ribs and onto the deck. Elizabeth gasped and ran back inside of the cabin. Barbossa threw the bottle against the door and slammed it behind her. Lydia was still sitting by the stairs, unable to move or speak. Barbossa laughed loudly and his crew paused to laugh with him. "What are you looking at? Back to work!" The pirates shuffled around the deck, returning to their duties. He turned around and notices that Lydia was still outside the cabin. She stared up at the skeletal form of Barbossa, eyes wide with fear and her breaths shallow and shaky. "Why Miss Selwyn, you're shaking. I can't imagine why," he said, his tone full of sarcasm and mockery. She could say nothing, only stare at him. "And yet again, I've rendered you mute." Lydia could only gulp and hold onto her aching shoulder. Barbossa sighed and took a step towards her. He was now out of the moonlight and looked human, though Lydia knew better now. He took her by the left arm and forced her up onto her feet. He practically dragged her below deck and shoved her into an unused storage room. He paced for a moment before turning to her and asking. "Why did you say, 'you poor souls?'"

"I-I don't know," she whispered. "It was my first thought." He gripped her left arm tighter and glared at her.

"We don't need your pity. Only your friend's blood," he snarled. He let go of her arm and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him. He heard the sound of a lock clicking and knew she was trapped once more. She fell to her knees, still trying to make sense of everything she had seen that night. It felt more like a nightmare than reality; yet now reality was her nightmare.


	9. Curse of the Black Pearl: Chapter 8

It had been a week and Gibbs had told them he finally assembled a decently sized crew. At the moment, Jack, Will, and Alice were heading to the docks on one of the longboats. Will rowed while Jack gave "directions." Everyone knew he was doing absolutely nothing; same as Alice. A silence hung between the three as they slowly made their way to Tortuga once more. Alice rocked back and forth awkwardly where she sat. "Hey, Jack?" she finally asked after a few minutes.

"Yes?" he replied.

"Can I wear your hat?" she asked with the sweetest smile she could muster.

"No." Alice frown and began to pout over-dramatically. In a way, it was kind of playful.

"Please?"

"No."

"Not even for two seconds?"

"Nope," he said, popping the p. A silence hung between them for a few moments.

"Pretty please?" Alice asked again.

"Alice," Will groaned.

"I'll give it right back and you can supervise my wearing of your hat," Alice continued, completely ignoring Will. Jack seemed to ponder this for a few moments before smirking and shaking his head.

"No," he said in a dramatic whisper.

"What if I clean the entirety of the deck?"

"You're really haggling to wear my hat?" Jack asked.

"Yes." Alice knew she didn't need to say any more than that.

"And two bottles of rum," Jack said. "I supervise, you clean the deck, and I get rum."

"Anything else?" Alice asked.

"No hat until I have my rum." Alice nodded her head and held out her hand.

"We have a deal, Sparrow," she said with a smirk.

"Captain Sparrow, to you," he said jokingly. Nevertheless, he shook her hand. Will stopped rowing and jumped out of the longboat. Alice did the same, and the pair pushed the longboat to shore. Jack stepped out of the longboat as Will and Alice waded out of the water. Though Alice ended up tripping and falling face-first into the shallows. She quickly stood up and spat out the ocean water that ended up in her mouth. She ran a hand through her hair, getting it out of her eyes.

"I'm fine!" She shouted as she trudged onto shore. Jack was laughing hysterically at Alice while Will was shaking his head.

"What did you even trip on?"

"A fish?" Alice suggested with an unsure smile. "Fine, I tripped on nothing. Just let me believe I tripped on a fish to save my pride." They walked across shore and headed towards the docks. They didn't have to spend a long time searching for Gibbs. He found them easily and ran up to them.

"There you are! If you'll follow me, Captain," Gibbs said. He looked over at Alice and furrowed his brow in confusion. "Decided to take swim, Alice?"

"I tripped on fish!" she shouted. She rushed past Gibbs. Will followed her. Gibbs turned to Jack with a questioning look.

"Don't ask," was all Jack had to say. He walked with Gibbs to the dock where his crew stood. The crew immediately lined up when they noticed Jack approaching. Alice smiled as she looked at the crew. Not the most orthodox group of sailors, but they were pirates. They didn't need to be orthodox. She noticed among them was a dwarf and a man with a parrot. She always wanted to see a parrot.

"Feast your eyes, Captain," Gibbs said. "All of them, faithful hands before the mast, every man worth his salt. And crazy to boot." Jack walked down the line of sailors, closely followed by Will and Alice.

"So this is your able-bodied crew?" Will asked, clearly skeptical. Jack walked up to the man with the parrot and stopped.

"You, sailor," he said.

"Cotton, sir," Gibbs interjected.

"Mr. Cotton," Jack continued. "Do you have the courage and fortitude to follow orders and stay true in the face of danger and almost certain death? Mr. Cotton! Answer, man."

"He's a mute, sir," Gibbs said. "Poor devil had his tongue cut out, so he trained the parrot to talk for him." Cotton opened his mouth, revealing the missing tongue. "No one's yet figured how." Jack took one step and turned to face the parrot.

"Mr. Cotton's parrot," Jack said. "Same question."

"Wind in the sails! Wind in the sails!" the parrot cawed.

"Mostly we figure that means yes," Gibbs translated.

"Of course it does," Jack replied. He turned to Will. "Satisfied?"

"I like him," Alice said. At the same moment, Will said, "Well you've proved they're mad."

"And what's the benefit for us?" a feminine voice questioned. Jack walked over to the sailor and took off her hat, revealing the long black hair of a woman.

"Anamaria," Jack greeted. She said nothing; she only slapped him across the face.

"I like her," Alice said with a smile. Jack narrowed his eyes at her.

"I suppose you didn't deserve that," Will said.

"No, that one I deserved."

"You stole my boat!"

"Actually," Jack started, but Anamaria slapped him before he could get another word out. "Borrowed. Borrowed without permission. But with every intention of bringing it back to you."

"But you didn't!" Anamaria shouted.

"You'll get another one," Jack squeaked out. Anamaria glare and pointed at him.

"I will."

"A better one," Will added. Jack nodded.

"A better one!"

"That one," Will said as he pointed to the Interceptor.

"What one?" Jack asked. Alice arched an eyebrow and nodded toward the Interceptor. Jack widened his eyes and glare at Will. "That one!?" Jack sighed and turned to Anamaria "Aye. That one. What say you?"

"AYE!" the crew shouted.

"Anchors aweigh," the parrot squawked. The crew turned and prepared to sail to the Interceptor. Gibbs ran up to Jack, fear in his face.

"No no no no no," he said. "It's frightful bad luck to have a woman aboard, sir." Alice narrowed her eyes at Gibbs and cleared her throat.

"It'd be far worse not to have her," Jack said. He stared at an unknown something in the sky and walked away. Gibbs, Alice, and Will all stared upwards, trying to see whatever Jack saw. Alice merely shrugged when she saw nothing and followed Jack. She smiled, knowing that soon they'd set sail to find Lydia and Elizabeth.

* * *

Lydia lied awake on the floor of the windowless storage room she was locked in. She sighed, not knowing what time it was or long she'd been down there. She was kept alone with her thoughts. As to the nature of these thoughts, well, they varied. She found herself thinking about the frailty of life and the inevitability of death. She also found herself wondering if other legends she had heard of were true. If undead pirates existed, why not mermaids or harpies? Or giants and dragons? What else could lie in this world? What could lie in the world beyond this earth? What was it like for these men to feel nothing, taste nothing, and never die regardless of suffering or injury?

It must have been horrible. Now, Lydia could almost understand why Barbossa was so desperate for the curse to be ended. However, that didn't mean she condone his actions or all the blood he's spilled to get the 882 coins of Cortez back.

Then there were the thoughts of what was going on in Port Royal. Were Kitty and her father worrying for her? Was Alice proposing rash solutions? Was Commodore Norrington already combing the Caribbean to find Elizabeth? Were the buildings and homes in Port Royal being reconstructed? She had no ideas. She only knew that it was that Alice had probably done something very stupid to try and save her and Elizabeth. It was in her nature.

Suddenly, she heard the lock on the door click. She sat up, wincing at the pressure she had unintentionally put on her right arm. There had been a strong, dull pain in her shoulder ever since Barbossa yanked it the previous night. The door creaked open and Barbossa entered. He shut the door behind him and looked down at Lydia. She avoided meeting his gaze. In her mind, she still saw his skeletal, half-decayed form. It both mesmerized and haunted her memory. "Y-Yes?" she asked, unable to hide the crack in her voice. Suddenly, she saw Barbossa sit down in front of her. He grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him.

"Stop with the damn stuttering," he hissed. She gulped and nodded. He took her injured arm and slid the top of the sleeve down to see the wound. "In hindsight, it was rather ungentlemanly to take advantage of your arm like I did."

"Yes, it was," she responded, her voice cold. Barbossa smirked.

"So the mouse does have some bite," he said with a ghost of a laugh. He covered her arm again, yet remained seated in front of her.

"Why am I here?" she asked after a few moments of silence. "You need Elizabeth for her blood. I'm not needed."

"You're still alive because something in the back of me mind is telling me you might be useful," he said.

"You're keeping me alive because of a hunch that I might be useful in the future?" Lydia asked. Barbossa smirked and stood up.

"You're an intriguing woman, Miss Selwyn," he said. He extended a hand. Lydia took it and stood up.

"One moment I'm a mouse and the next I'm intriguing?" she asked with an arched eyebrow. She had no idea where Barbossa's rationality was coming from. He sighed and shook his head.

"Rather inquisitive today, are we?"

"I've had a lot of time to think," she replied. "Being alone in a room with no light can do that."

"If trapping you in a room with no light gives you a backbone, then perhaps I should do that more often," he said. Lydia's expression didn't change; she merely gulped and rubbed her shoulder. He smirked and laughed. "And the backbone falters. I can see the fear in your eyes."

"What is it that you wanted from me?" she asked. "I doubt you'd come down here without reason."

"I'm letting you wander as you please around the ship," he said. She narrowed her eyes. She had no reason to believe him. Even if he was telling her the truth, he wouldn't tell the entire truth. That wasn't the way of the tricky Captain Barbossa. "We don't need your blood nor do you really have anywhere you can run off to."

"There has to be more of a catch," she said.

"Of course," he said. "I want you to stay in sight. If I can't see you, it's back down here. I doubt you want that."

"Why, though? I'd be less trouble locked in a room down here," she pointed out.

"Do you want to stay locked in here or not?"

"Not particularly."

"Then stop talking and get out of the storage room," he said, his voice tinged with annoyance. Lydia sighed and walked out of the room. Barbossa shut the door behind her and walked up the stairs to the main deck. Lydia followed him, tentative of the crew that worked on the deck above. She stepped onto the deck and looked at the dim evening light. It was nearly sundown. Of course he brings her up at night. It probably for his amusement. The sun was setting over the ocean; the sky was a mix of reds, oranges, violets and yellows. The light glistened over the water as the sun descended. She followed Barbossa up the stairs to helm. She sat down at a barrel that was tied down near the edge of the ship. Since she clearly had nothing better to do, she only sat and watched the sunset.

Sunrise and sunset had always been her two favorite times of day. However, it had been a long while since she'd seen the sun set over the ocean; she could only ever watch the sunrise. Lydia let out a sigh. She stared down at the dark, glistening water. She couldn't explain it, but something about the water seemed to draw her closer. She almost wanted to jump off the ship and be consumed by the ocean. She leaned further on the rail. Everything around blurred; everything but the water. Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder and she gasped and spun around.

"You looking to drown, Miss Selwyn?" Barbossa hissed.

"Was I that far over?" she asked. She stood up and shook her head. That was strange; almost as if the sea put her in a trance. Why was she so drawn to the water all of a sudden?

"You would've been in the water in a few minutes," he said. "You always been entranced with the sea like that?"

"I watched the sunrise over the ocean almost every morning in Port Royal," she said.

"You have a talent for avoiding answering my questions, Selwyn," he replied, voice tinged with annoyance. Lydia looked up, just now noticing that the sky was nearly dark and the moon would soon be out. "So now you realize the hour?"

"Apparently," she murmured. She sat down on the wooden deck. She sighed and looked up at the darkened sky. For a few minutes she sat in silence, watching as the stars twinkled into view one by one and the moon revealed herself. The moonlight shone onto the deck and immediately the crew transformed into their undead forms. Watching it happen a second time was still unnerving, but not as terrifying as the first time she was exposed to their decaying, skeletal forms. "Yes," she finally said.

"Hmm?" Barbossa turned around, his face now skeletal and his clothes decaying.

"Yes. I've always been drawn to the sea. I've just never answered its call," she said. She turned away from him and lied down on her back, staring up at the stars. How was it she had never noticed how beautiful the night sky could be? She needed to stargaze more often… She let out a snicker. She finally found something that Alice was right about. Perhaps when she returned to Port Royal she would sneak out with Alice to look at the stars.

If she returned to Port Royal.

Lydia frowned and sighed. She turned her head and looked at the half-decayed form of Captain Barbossa. She still wasn't sure if she was going to survive this ordeal. "After the curse if lifted what becomes of me?" she suddenly asked. Barbossa turned around and rolled his eyes.

"Depends on whether or not you've used up your usefulness," he said.

"The usefulness that you have yet to determine," she said. She looked back up at the stars. For some reason, a poem that she learned when she was a child came to mind _. "There, out in the darkness_  
_A fugitive running_  
 _Fallen from God_  
 _Fallen from grace_  
 _God be my witness_  
 _I never shall yield_  
 _Till we come face to face_  
 _Till we come face to face_ ," she recited quietly.

" _He knows his way in the dark,"_ Barbossa suddenly quoted. Lydia sat up and stared at the pirate captain in shock. _"Mine is the way of the Lord_  
_Those who follow the path of the righteous_  
 _Shall have their reward_  
 _And if they fall as Lucifer fell_  
 _The flames_  
 _The sword._ "

" _Stars_ ," Lydia continued. " _In your multitudes_  
_Scarce to be counted_  
 _Filling the darkness_  
 _With order and light_  
 _You are the sentinels_  
 _Silent and sure_  
 _Keeping watch in the night_  
 _Keeping watch in the night_

 _You know your place in the sky_  
_You hold your course and your aim_  
 _And each in your season_  
 _Returns and returns_  
 _And is always the same_  
 _And if you fall as Lucifer fell_  
 _You fall in flames._ " She paused for a moment, trying to recall the last few verses of the poem. Barbossa let out an annoyed sigh and turned around.

" _And so it must be_  
_For so it is written_  
 _On the doorway to paradise_  
 _That those who falter and those who fall_  
 _Must pay the price!_

 _Lord let me find him_  
_That I may see him_  
 _Safe behind bars_  
 _I will never rest_  
 _Till then, this I swear_ ," he said.

" _This I swear by the stars_ ," Lydia finished. "I didn't take you for a man of poetry, Captain."

"There are many idle nights when you live as a cursed man," he said, his voice low. He turned back around and shouted some commands to the crew. She stared back up at the stars. Between the darkness and the gentle rocking of the boat, she somehow was lulled to sleep.


	10. Curse of the Black Pearl: Chapter 9

When Lydia woke up the next morning, she half expected to find herself locked in that room below deck. Instead, her eyes were greeted by the harsh light of the sun. She winced and squinted her eyes. She sat up on her left arm and rubbed her eyes with her right. That was when she noticed there was a coat on her, laid down almost like a blanket. She narrowed her eyes and turned to the helm. She almost immediately saw Barbossa standing at the wheel, no longer skeletal or decaying.

And he wasn't wearing his usual coat.

Lydia tensed her jaw and stood up. She took the coat into her hand and cleared her throat. Barbossa turned around a smirked. "About time you woke up, Selwyn," he said. He took his coat from her and quickly put it on. He turned back around and continued to steer the ship. He looked down at his compass, glancing occasionally at Lydia.

"Where are we going?" she asked. He narrowed his eyes and swore under his breath.

"The place where this all began," he said. "Tis the only way to end this curse."

"Which would be where?" she repeated. He sighed and shook his head.

"They call it the Isla de Muerta," he answered. _The Island of Death..._ Lydia thought to herself. It was an ironic name, seeing how the curse of the treasure on that island didn't grant that luxury to Barbossa and his crew. "What are you smirking about?"

"The irony," she replied. Barbossa rolled his eyes.

"Excuse me if I don't find humor in my circumstances," he snapped.

"Understandable," she said. She sat down on a random barrel and looked into the sea. The sunlight glittered off the water. "And how long will it take to get to this island?"

"Another week," Barbossa said, not looking away from the crew on his ship. There was a moment of silence between them. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and let out a ghost of a laugh. "I'll not be saving you from your own stupidity a second time."

"I assure you, you won't need to," Lydia said. There was silence once more. Perhaps this was what it was going to be like for the next week. Lydia staring off into the vast nothingness that was the sea while Barbossa watched her as if she had anywhere to escape to. " _O mistress mine, where are you roaming?_  
_O, stay and hear! Your true love's coming,_  
 _That can sing both high and low:_  
 _Trip no further, pretty sweeting._  
 _Journeys end in lovers meeting,_  
 _Every wise man's son doth know._

 _What is love? 'Tis not hereafter._  
_Present mirth hath present laughter._  
_What's to come is still unsure._  
_In delay there lies no plenty._  
_Then come kiss me, sweet and twenty._  
_Youth's a stuff will not endure."_

"So you've moved onto Shakespeare?" Barbossa said. "You do realize what that poem's about?"

"I'm aware," Lydia replied. "It was simply the first to come to mind for some reason. Besides, staring at the ocean an only provide so much entertainment."

"I wonder which one will find its way into your head next," Barbossa muttered. Lydia smirked and looked towards the sea again.

 _"Sigh no more, ladies, sigh no more._  
_Men were deceivers ever,_  
 _One foot in sea, and one on shore,_  
 _To one thing constant never._  
 _Then sigh not so, but let them go,_  
 _And be you blithe and bonny,_  
 _Converting all your sounds of woe_  
 _Into hey nonny, nonny._

 _Sing no more ditties, sing no more_  
_Of dumps so dull and heavy._  
 _The fraud of men was ever so_  
 _Since summer first was leafy._  
 _Then sigh not so, but let them go,_  
 _And be you blithe and bonny,_  
 _Converting all your sounds of woe_  
 _Into hey, nonny, nonny."_ Lydia still stared out at the sea, resisting the urge to see Barbossa's reaction to that particular poem.

"Now that's just cruel, Selwyn," was all the pirate captain had to say in response to her choice.

"Surely not as cruel as you are." She heard Barbossa let out a huff rather loudly and obviously.

"I just want a nice, easy life. What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing is wrong with that until innocent people start dying because of it. An explanation is not an excuse." Suddenly she felt a hand under her chin. He forced her head around to look him in the eye.

"You wouldn't have that sentiment after a decade of Hell, I assure you," Barbossa growled. He let go of her chin and smirked. "I can see the fear in your eyes, Selwyn. That defiance you had a moment ago is long gone."

"Are you certain of that?" Lydia question, fighting the stammer that threatened to make itself known. Barbossa merely smirked and let out a low, dark chuckle.

"Aye," he said. "Absolutely certain." Two stared at each other, neither saying a word. Suddenly there was a loud screech and Jack the Monkey made himself know. However, neither Barbossa nor Lydia expected the monkey to climb onto Lydia's shoulder. She stared at the monkey, wide-eyed and slack jawed. "Strange." Lydia turned to a smirking Barbossa. "He's never taken a liking to anyone but myself." Lydia sat stone cold, her face expressionless. She had no idea what to make of this. Barbossa went back to the wheel while Lydia sat and stared over the ocean. She lightly stroked the undead monkey's head, trying not to think of how bizarre it was that she was actually petting an undead monkey.

* * *

Jack watched as he crew readied the _Interceptor_ for sailing. He finally had a ship, a crew, and a way to regain the Pearl. He watched Alice scurry onto the deck from the shore. In her hands were two bottles of rum. She looked up at Jack with a teasing smirk and raised one of the bottles of rum. He sighed as shook his head as he leaned against a mast. She walked up to the helm and tossed him one of the bottles. "I got your bottles of rum. Now can I wear the hat?"

"How'd you even get the rum?"

"It's not that hard. You just need to know how to stroke egos," she replied, her grey eyes twinkling mischievously. "Didn't need to pay a shilling."

"You really should have been born a pirate," Jack said as he uncorked the bottle of rum. He took a long swig, feeling the alcohol burn its way down his throat.

"Hat?" she asked. Jack laughed and rolled his eyes.

"You truly are bent on wearing my hat." Alice shrugged.

"It's an awesome hat. I won't harm her," she said.

"Her?" Jack asked. The young girl shrugged again.

"I figured she was a her. If I'm wrong, please tell me." Jack sighed and shook his head. This girl truly was a strange one… Jack took his beloved hat from his head and plopped it on top of Alice's thick blonde mop of hair. She cleared some hair from her eyes and smiled. Her light grey eyes lit up from excitement. For a moment, Jack's smirk faltered. It almost shocked him how much his hat suited her. "How do I look?" she asked with a light chuckle.

"More like a pirate than a noblewoman," he replied. She smirked and twirled a loose strand of blonde hair around a finger.

"Good," she said. Jack took the hat from her head and placed it swiftly on his own head. Alice sighed and shook head. "I guess that's fair... I never specified how long I could wear it. I should have done that..."

"See, unlike dear William, you're starting to understand our methodology better," Jack said with a smirk. "You know where the mops are. Get to work." Alice stuck out her tongue and rolled her eyes. Jack shook his head as he watched the girl bounce away. Never before had me met a woman with that kind of energy. He looked down on the deck to see Will almost glaring at him. Jack raised a challenging eyebrow, almost daring him to come up to Jack and make his complaint known. Will settled for tensing his jaw and continue to move barrels of supplies onto the ship. Jack smirked as he turned to the wheel. He took out his compass and watched as the needle spun around. It settled on a direction and Jack immediately knew where he was going.

The crew was scattered amongst the deck, preparing the _Interceptor_ for sail. Alice emerged onto the deck, carrying a soapy bucket and a mop. She looked up at him and smiled briefly. Then, of course, the girl's clumsiness kicked in and she tripped over nothing. She miraculously kept the bucket from spilling, though some of the soapy water fell to the deck. She set the bucket down, shrugged at Jack, and started to mop that area.

This was going to be an interesting journey.

They had been sailing for three days now and Alice loved every second of it.

She loved smelling the seawater every moment of every day. She loved the crew and how they'd invite her to play games with them. She loved how Jack would occasionally put his hat on her head as if she were a hat stand or something. And of course she enjoyed the company of Anamaria. After all, it was nice to talk to another woman sometimes.

Of course, Alice knew she had to do her part to ensure the ship ran smoothly. She had become a cabin-boy of sorts. She mostly ensured the deck was clean and killed any rats she found near the supplies. When there was nothing to do, Alice would train with her dagger. Anamaria and Jack had taught her a few techniques whenever they caught her practicing. Today started out like every other day for the past week; clear skies, bright sun, merriment and determination amongst the crew, Will skulking in a corner...

Then the storm came.

It came suddenly. One moment the sun was out, the next the sky was dark and there was a torrential downpour. "Strike the royals!" she heard Jack call out. The crew rushed to follow his commands. The ocean beneath them started to swell. The ship rocked over the rough waves, lurching from side to side and front to back. Alice ran to secure rigging, gripping the sopping wet rope as tight as she could. The rain had already soaked through all of her clothes. "Strike the top gallants!" Lightning cracked through the dark sky and thunder boomed immediately after it. Alice normally found lightning pretty; however, in this scenario it was more terrifying that beautiful. Jack maintained his place at the wheel, attempting to steer the ship through this massive storm. "Strike the gallants!" he called out. The storm grew worse and a few minutes later, Jack called out, "Reef the mainsail!"

A large wave suddenly crashed over the side of the ship. More specifically, the side of the ship Alice happened to be on. The salty water crashed over the side and pushed Alice across the deck. Her hands slid from the rigging and she let out a squeal. She hit the other side of the ship, her back and head hitting the wood. She felt the dull pain start to grow in the back of her head as she went to her knees and coughed up the seawater she swallowed. Her wet blonde hair was clinging to her face, seemingly unaffected by the harsh winds. "Swann!" she heard Jack shout. She turned to him as he shouted, "Get below deck and secure the supplies!"

"Aye!" she called out. As she attempted to run across deck, another wave crashed over the bow and hit Alice. She let out a scream as she was thrown from her feet and pulled by the water. She felt someone grip her wrist and help her to a rope. She looked to her left and saw Gibbs and Will.

"How can we sail to an island that can't be found with a compass that doesn't work!?" Will asked.

"Aye, the compass doesn't point north," Gibbs shouted over the wind and thunder. "But we're not trying to find north, are we?" Alice looked up at Jack, who was staring at his compass. Gibbs fought his way through the downpour and up the stairs to the helm. "We should drop canvas, sir."

"She can hold a bit longer," Jack shouted back. Alice stood up, holding on to some of the stays.

"What's in your head that's put you in such a fine mood, Captain?" Gibbs asked. She looked up and saw Jack smiling.

"We're catching up!" he shouted. He looked over and saw Alice still on deck. "What are you still doing on deck, Swann?"

"I'm working on it!" she shouted back. "The storm likes to send waves at me." As if on cue, another wave shot across the ship, sweeping Alice into it's cold, salty embrace. She screamed as the force of the water pushed her across the deck.

The last thing she registered before losing consciousness was a sharp pain in the back of her head.

* * *

Kitty watched as marines began to load supplies onto the _HMS Dauntless._ She stood next to her father as she watched the final preparations be made. "Are you sure it is wise to bring me along for this venture?"

"Wisdom is not the motivation behind my actions," Weatherby Swann responded. "Selfishness would be the more likely motivation."

"I understand wanting to keep me close," she said. "I have lost three sisters, just as you have lost three daughters. I cannot help but think it might be safer in Port Royal. But then again, how do I know it will be safer here than it would be on the sea?"

"So you agree with my decision to bring you?" he asked with a faint smile.

"I guess that is my complicated way of saying so, yes," Kitty replied. "I still can't believe the Commodore is allowing it, though."

"I suppose he could be driven by selfishness as well," her father said. "You are a very dear friend to him."

"Yes," Kitty said. "A dear friend, indeed." Weatherby turned his head and looked at his daughter.

"You still seem uncertain," he said.

"We're always uncertain," she said. "It is merely human nature to doubt oneself."

"And that's how I know you're avoiding answering me," her father said with a ghost of a smile. "What's troubling you, Kitty? Aside from the obvious."

"The only thing troubling me is that my sisters are stuck in the Caribbean with pirates. What troubles me even more is that Alice is there by choice," Kitty said. "I love her dearly, but..."

"I share the same sentiment," he said. "Commodore Norrington will find them. They'll be fine."

"In body, maybe," Kitty said. "But what about in mind? Lydia and Elizabeth might not be the same after such a trauma." Weatherby placed a hand on his daughter's shoulder. Kitty looked up at her father and saw the fear in his eyes.

"Your elder sisters are both strong," he said. "The difference between the two of them is that Elizabeth knows her strength. Lydia has yet to find hers."

"Then I pray she finds that strength," Kitty said. She let out a breath and turned to look at the _Dauntless_ once more. She looked to her left and saw Commodore Norrington speaking to Gillette and Groves. The two men nodded and walked towards the ship. Norrington looked over at the Governor and his daughter and motioned for them to come to him. Governor Swann walked towards the Commodore. Kitty followed him like the loyal and dutiful daughter she was.

"Governor, Miss Swann, we should be ready to embark shortly," the Commodore told them. "Are you both prepared?"

"We are," Governor Swann said.

"Good," Norrington said with a curt nod. Governor Swann nodded and headed towards the gangplank. Kitty let out a breath as she stared at the ship. "Are you all right, Katherine?"

"Why has everyone been asking me that?" she asked with a forced smile. "I think the answer should be obvious by now." He placed a hand on her shoulder. Almost immediately Kitty could feel her heart starting to race.

"We will find them," he assured her. Kitty bit her lower lip and nodded. She turned back to Norrington and forced a smile. She let out a deep sigh. "Katherine, if you should need anything-"

"I know," she said. "I'm sorry. Forgive my rudeness, I didn't mean to interrupt you. I've just heard it so many times by now..." Norrington nodded and moved his hand from her shoulder. She felt a faint coldness when his hand left the spot. "Shall we get going?"

"Yes," he said. He walked towards the ship while Kitty followed him. She had no idea how long this journey would take. She only prayed that she would see her sisters alive and well again.


	11. Curse of the Black Pearl: Chapter 10

Barbossa changing Lydia's shoulder wrappings had almost become a daily ritual. They would go to the storage room that had pretty much become Lydia's cell, where she would have to bring down part of her dress (which still embarrassed her every time) and he would change out the grimy bits of cloth for slightly cleaner grimy bits of cloth. Then, of course, he'd tease her for one thing or another as she brought her sleeve back up. Throughout this, Lydia had learned to just stay silent and take it; after all, it seemed Barbossa had no intention of stopping. As he had said long ago, he just liked to see her squirm. She tried not to give him that satisfaction, yet he always seemed to know the exact moment Lydia became uncomfortable. He regularly pointed those moments out.

At least the monkey was nice to her.

Today seemed like it would be exactly every other day Lydia had spent at sea with the crew of the Black Pearl. However, she knew it was going to be very different. Barbossa made a point of stating it whenever he had the opportunity. Today was the day they were supposed to arrive to the Isla de Muerta and break the curse. The day when Elizabeth's blood would be sacrificed to some heathen god for the wrongs the pirates committed. Not for any wrongs Elizabeth had done (if she had even done any, besides keep the medallion. Lydia was fairly certain of her sister's innocence thus far), but for the wrongs of those damn pirates. It absolutely infuriated her, yet Lydia knew she could do nothing. How could she harm men that could not die? Elizabeth couldn't do any harm when she stabbed Barbossa in the heart with a knife. Not to mention she had no idea where in the Caribbean they were. It was a hopeless case at the moment and Lydia knew it; so did Barbossa.

"Today's the day." Lydia looked up from the infinite blue of the ocean and stared at Barbossa, her face void of emotion.

"I know," she said. "You're freed of a decades old curse while I still know nothing of my fate aboard your vessel."

"Cheer up, Selwyn," Barbossa said mockingly. "It's not as if I'll be killing you."

"Yet," she added. Barbossa shrugged and smirked.

"Now you're understanding the lifestyle," he said. Lydia rolled her eyes and stared back into the ocean. The waters began to clear as they approached the hidden island, yet the fog began to thicken and the air grew more tense. She felt a hand on her shoulder and she tensed. "Your soft heart may not be able to take in the sight of Shipwreck Cay."

"My heart is not so soft, Barbossa," Lydia replied, not looking up at him. "It has hardened considerable since coming aboard the Black Pearl."

"Suit yourself," he said. "Don't tell me I didn't warn you when you faint at the sight of sharks." Lydia sighed and shook her head. As the ship journeyed through the shallowing waters, Lydia could see the many ships this passage had claimed. Worn masts rotted in the air, the only sign of the vessels that lay below the waves. Elsewhere, upside-down hulls, could be see, holes worn away in the wood. The dorsal fins of sharks could be seen, poking out of the water. The sharks swarmed, as if waiting for their next meal.

"I've heard tales of ship graveyards, yet seeing one for myself..." she murmured. She turned her head around and saw Barbossa smirking whilst steering the ship. "You're mocking me. I know you are."

"Whatever makes you think so?" he asked, feigning innocence.

"That smirk," she replied as she turned to look at the sunken ships and sharks.

"If I be mocking you, then you sure as hell are mocking me in return," Barbossa said. Lydia didn't respond to this. After all, she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of victory. "DROP ANCHOR!" he shouted. Lydia watched as the crew scurried about the deck, preparing for their freedom from the undeath. Barbossa grabbed Lydia's arm and pulled her towards him. He took out a long strand of rope from behind his back and smirked. "Normally when I tie up a woman, it's for a completely different reason. However, since I can't have you running off on me..." Lydia tensed her jaw the moment she knew what he was insinuating. "Of course, if you'd like me to tie you up after this curse is broken-"

"Not even in your dreams would I consider that," she spat. Barbossa sighed and began to tie Lydia's wrist together.

"Just as well," he said. "I'd only end up injuring your shoulder further." He turned to his crew and ordered, "Get the other girl." Lydia was led down the steps onto the main deck. Lydia watched as Elizabeth was dragged out of the cabin. A pirate tied Elizabeth's hands together with another strand of rope.

"Lyddie?" Elizabeth breathed out. Lydia nodded and held up her own bound wrists, showing her that yes, she was still a prisoner. Barbossa came up behind Elizabeth and placed the medallion around her neck while Ragetti chanted some sort of unintelligible chant. They were guided down a rope ladder into the longboat that lied below.

The entire affair was silent; not one person made a sound. On that longboat, the two women were joined by Pintel and Ragetti, and of course Captain Barbossa with his monkey. The boats rowed across the foggy passage and into a darkened cave. The silence only added to the haunting nature of the island. They appeared to arrive to their destination a few minutes later, as one of the pirates leapt out of the longboat and took a coil of rope with him. Barbossa stepped into the shallow water, taking Lydia by the left arm and dragging her out of the longboat. She slid off the end and landed in the shallows on her hands and knees.

Then the markings appeared.

Slowly, deep brown markings swirled to life on her hands. The marks seemed to resemble the sea itself, yet had a regal sort of appearance to them. Lydia widened her eyes in shock as she brought her arms out of the water. Barbossa seemed shocked as well, though he would never show it. He quickly bent down and took her hands, inspecting them carefully. "I think I know what these are... but I need to be sure." He suddenly gripped Lydia by the hair and shoved her head into the water.

Lydia felt the salty seawater enter her mouth as she took an unintentional gasp. She struggled under the water, unable to move thanks to Barbossa's grip. She could hear the muffled sounds of longboats pulling in and Elizabeth screaming at Barbossa to release Lydia. Suddenly, her head was yanked back up to the surface and Lydia took in a long gasp of air. She breathed heavily as she shook the wet hair from her eyes. She looked up at Barbossa, who seemed to be carefully inspecting her face. Suddenly he smirked and started to _laugh_ of all things.

"Miss Selwyn, I know how you're useful to me now," he said. He turned to his crew and brought Lydia to her feet by her hair. "Gents! Looks like we've found ourselves a Nereid!"

"What?" Lydia breathed out, coughing up sea water as she spoke.

"So you don't know what you are?" he asked with a devilish smirk. "Tell me, Selwyn. When was the last time you were in the sea?"

"I-I don't know... Age fourteen, maybe fifteen," she said. Barbossa seemed to contemplate this for a moment before nodded.

"Then I'll explain after the curse is broken," he said. He released her hair and motioned for her and Elizabeth to follow him. Lydia looked at Elizabeth, her eyes full of fear.

"You face," Elizabeth said. "It has markings like your hands."

"That's why he nearly drowned me then," Lydia responded. She raised her voice and said, "That explains it but doesn't excuse it."

"You say that as if I care," Barbossa responded, without bothering to turn around. They continued to be marched through the caves, surrounded by nothing but the sound of water dripping from the rocks and the sounds of their footsteps.

* * *

Alice woke up the next day with one hell of a headache.

When she initially tried to sit up after coming back to consciousness, she felt herself getting gently pushed back down onto the makeshift bed she was on. "No, no, love," she heard Jack say. "You need to take it easy."

"Sparrow, you know damn well I'm never going to take anything easy," Alice said with a faint laugh. "I remember a wave and then nothing."

"You got caught in a wave and hit your head against a cannon," Jack explained. "You got a pretty nasty cut there too." Alice furrowed her brow and felt the back of her head. Sure enough, there were remnants of dried blood on the back of her head.

"Well I feel pathetic," she murmured. "Taken out by a wave..."

"Just be glad you didn't end up in the ocean," Jack said. "Many men have died that way."

"True," Alice said. "Are we nearly there?"

"Aye," Jack said. "We're going through Shipwreck Cay right now."

"That's not far from the Isla de Muerta, then," Alice said. She attempted to stand up, but Jack's hand on her shoulder stopped her. "Captain, I feel fine. I can walk, I can talk, and I can definitely go after my elder sisters."

"If that blow to the head had been a little lower, you'd be dead," Jack said.

"But I'm not," Alice argued back. "I'm still breathing and I'll probably face death a few more times on this venture."

"This isn't a game, Swann," Jack snapped.

"And I know that perfectly well," Alice retorted. "I know my sisters could die. I know I could die. Hell, even you or Will or the rest of the crew could die. But someone needs to go after Lydia and Elizabeth or they will for sure die. I'm not going to sit by like some idiotic damsel and do nothing! Like it or not, I'm going up onto the deck and I'm coming with you and Will to the Isla de Muerta. Do I make myself clear?" Jack smirked and started to laugh. "What's so funny?"

"You are the strangest girl I've ever met, Swann," Jack said. "Alright. You can join Will and I. If it were up to me, Will would probably be staying behind. After all, I trust you more than I trust him. Savvy?"

"Savvy," Alice responded. She stood up and marched onto the deck, followed by Jack. She paused at the top of the stairs, not entirely sure what to do. When Jack headed towards Gibbs and Will, Alice figured that she might as well follow him.

"Aye, sea turtles," Alice heard Gibbs say.

"What did he use for rope?" Will asked. Gibbs seemed at a loss, but then suddenly noticed Jack and Alice's presence.

"Human hair... from my back," Jack said. "Let go of the anchor!" The crew echoed the order and began to let go of the anchor. He turned to Gibbs and said, "Young Mr. Turner, Miss Swann, and I are to go ashore."

"Captain!" Gibbs shouted as he walked up Jack. "What if the worst should happen?"

"Keep to the code," Jack said.

Gibbs nodded and repeated, "Aye. The code." He then turned around and nodded to Alice. "Are you sure she's alright to go ashore? She took a pretty bad blow."

"She says she can and I trust her judgment," Jack said. "She's pretty tough for a little girl."

"I heard that and I'm not a little girl!" Alice shouted in response. "I know the code and I know the risks. I'm prepared to take them." The crew prepared the longboat and lowered it into the sea. Will was already making his way down the ladder. Alice followed suit and soon after Jack descended as well. Jack began to row and they were finally on the last steps of their journey to the Isla de Muerta.


	12. Curse of the Black Pearl: Chapter 11

The pirates of the Black Pearl laughed in glee as they emptied riches into the cavern in the Isla de Muerta. One group pushed Elizabeth along towards the chest of Cortez. The large, stone chest stood in the center of the cavern, a beam of sunlight glowing down upon it. Lydia looked up at Barbossa, who was clutching her arm. "What is a Nereid?" she demanded for at least the tenth time. "Why is that so useful to you? Why is it important?"

"You never stop with the questions, do you Selwyn?" Barbossa replied with a smirk. "Nereids are daughters of Calypso, goddesses of the seas. There's only fifty of them in the world at once, and you're one of 'em."

"I don't understand, these markings-"

"When the flesh of a Nereid touches the sea, her true self shall awaken, though not until her eighteenth year." Barbossa said. "With you, we have the blessing of the sea. You can keep storms at bay, keep sharks from swallowing a man whole..."

"So now I have magic powers?" Lydia snorted.

"Nay, not magic," he said. "Divine gifts would be a better term. You told me yourself you've always heard the call of the sea, yet ne'er responded. If you had answered sooner, you'd have known what you were."

"I doubt I would," Lydia replied.

"All sailors know the tales, Selwyn," Barbossa said. "Even honest ones. But before I worry about you, I want to break this damn curse." He pulled her forward towards the chest of Cortez. She caught a glimpse of her reflection from a nearby mirror. She paused and bent down, finally seeing her face for the first time. Her face was marked with the same wave-like markings that were on her hands and feet (she noticed the markings on her feet as she entered the caves). It swirled on her forehead and around her eyes. Swirls met the corners of her mouths and descended down her neck like watery veins. Her eyes were even different; they were a startling oceanic blue rather than their usual grey.

"Will these markings go away?"

"Aye, they should once you're dry," Barbossa responded. "Sit there and don't be any trouble." Lydia sat and stared up at her terrified sister, trying to silently tell her that everything was going to be okay.

* * *

Alice looked down at the shimmering golden coins that lurked under the water. "What Code is Gibbs to keep to if the worst should happen?" she heard Will asked. She rolled her eyes. How could he not know one of the most basic codes for pirates?

"Pirate's Code. Any man that falls behind…is left behind," Jack said.

"No heroes amongst thieves, eh?" Will replied, his voice grim.

"You know, for having such a bleak outlook on pirates you're well on your way to becoming one," Jack pointed out as he continued to row. "Sprung a man from jail, commandeered a ship of the Fleet, sailed with a buccaneer crew out of Tortuga..." The two men were now looking at the gold at the bottom of the water, admiring it's shimmering beauty. "And you're completely obsessed with treasure." The boat landed on the rocky edge of the caves and Will was the first to spring out of the longboat.

"I am not obsessed with treasure," the blacksmith snapped.

"Not all treasure is silver and gold, mate," Jack said. Alice followed Jack up to a window-like portion of the cave. She peered through the opening, squeezed between Jack and Will. She saw a cave full of treasures. Silver, gold, diamonds and rubies... whoever possessed the contents of this cave would be a rich man indeed. She saw a man with a grizzled beard standing next to a large stone chest. The large had suggested opulence and a position of leadership... so this was probably Barbossa. Behind that chest was Elizabeth, wearing a plum gown that Alice knew she would never own.

"Gentlemen, the time has come!" Barbossa shouted. "Our salvation is nigh! Our torment is near an end!"

"Elizabeth," Will breathed out. Alice scanned the cave, trying to find Lydia.

"Holy shit," Jack whispered. He turned to Alice with wide, shocked eyes. "You failed to mention your other sister was a Nereid."

"What?" Alice asked. She'd heard the tales from Murtogg and Mullroy. Fifty daughters of the sea that possessed some of the power of Calypso. She looked and finally found Lydia. She was wearing a deep red dress and her face was covered in brown, wave-like patterns. She suddenly turned her head and met Alice's eyes. Those blue eyes bored into Alice's eyes and she immediately knew that Lydia knew where they were. She did nothing and turned back to the ceremony being performed. "Lyddie knows we're here," Alice whispered.

"For ten years we've been tested and tried, and each man jack of you here has proved his mettle a hundred times over and a hundred times again!" Barbossa shouted with a large sweep of his arms. " Punished, we were. The lot of us disproportionate to our crimes! Here it is..." Barbossa kicked off the top of the stone chest. He ran his fingers across the gold coins. "The cursed treasure of Cortez himself. Every last piece that went astray, we have returned… save for this." He pointed broadly at the medallion around Elizabeth's neck. Will lurched forward.

"Not yet!" Jack hissed. He dragged Will and Alice down, knowing that the coins Will disturbed would be heard. "We wait for the opportune moment."

"Jack's right, Will," Alice said. "You can't go charging into a room full of armed pirates and expect to come out alive."

"When's that? When it's of greatest profit to him?" Will asked. Alice narrowed her eyes and let out a low growl. Barbossa addressed his men once more.

"Eight hundred and eighty one we found, but despaired of ever finding the last!" he shouted.

"May I ask you something? Have I ever given you reason not to trust me?" Jack asked. "Do us a favor – I know it's difficult for you, but please stay here and try not to do anything stupid. Same goes for you, Alice."

"And who among us has paid the blood sacrifice owed to the heathen gods?" Barbossa shouted.

"Excuse me?" Alice asked. Jack sharpened his gaze and Alice immediately shut up. If Jack had a plan, she had to go along with it. Will may not trust him, but Alice did. She crawled back up to the opening and looked at the scene before her.

"And whose blood must yet be paid?" Barbossa called out.

"Hers!" the pirates shouted back.

" You know the first thing I'm goin' to do after the curse is lifted?" The pirate captain announced. "Eat a whole bushel of apples." He took a knife in his hand. "Begun by blood, by blood undone!" She heard a loud-ish thump and turned to where Jack went off to. When she got down the rocky slope, she saw Will standing behind Jack with an oar.

"Will!" Alice snapped in a whisper.

"I'm not going to be his leverage," Will said. "You can come with me or stay with him." Alice bent down next to Jack and glared at Will. "Fine." Will turned and ran off to who knows where. Alice watched as Barbossa took the knife, put the medallion into Elizabeth's hand, and slid her palm.

"That's it?" Elizabeth asked.

"Waste not," Barbossa responded. Elizabeth winced in pain as the medallion was pressed into her cut. She dropped the coin into the chest where it landed with a soft clink. The pirates closed their eyes and waited to feel the curse being lifted from them. Alice had no idea what this curse was, exactly, but it must have been pretty bad to search for that many gold coins.

* * *

Lydia knew that Alice and Will were there.

While she knew she should have been annoyed that Alice did something so stupid as to team up with pirates to save her sisters, she couldn't admonish her for her intentions. Alice always did what she believed to be right and always went about her decisions in a rather headstrong way. All Lydia could do right now was stay quiet and hope that no one around her was suspicious. She watched as Barbossa and his crew waited to feel their curse lift from them. One by one, they began to open their eyes. She could feel the confusion amongst them. One pirate asked, "Did it work?"

Ragetti said, "I don't feel no different."

Pintel asked, "How do we tell." Barbossa sighed and rolled his eyes. He took out his pistol and shot Pintel square in the chest. Lydia couldn't stifle her gasp. Pintel widened his yellowed eyes and looked down at the bullet hole.

"You're not dead," the first pirate said.

"No," Pintel breathed out. "He shot me!"

"The curse is still upon us!" Another pirate shouted. Lydia looked up into Elizabeth, both with obvious fear in their eyes. Barbossa turned around and grabbed Elizabeth's arm.

"You, maid! Your father, what was his name?" Barbossa demanded, rage seeping into his voice. "Was your father William Turner?"

"No," Elizabeth replied with a smirk on her face.

"Where's his child? The child that sailed from England eight years ago, the child in whose veins flows the blood of William Turner. Where?" Elizabeth continued to glare at Barbossa. The pirate captain backhanded Elizabeth. Lydia stood up and tried to run towards her sister. Barbossa caught her and flung her to the floor. "And I suppose you don't happen to be the child of William Turner."

"No," Lydia said. The Bo'sun turned to Pintel and Ragetti,

"You two!" he shouted. "Your brought us the wrong person!"

"No! She had the medallion," Pintel said. "She's the proper age!"

"She said her name was Turner," Ragetti added. "You heard her. I think she lied to us..."

"You brought us here for nothing!" One of the pirates shouted.

"I won't take questioning and no second guesses, not from the likes of you, Master Twigg," Barbossa growled.

"Who's to blame? Every decision you've made has led us from bad to worse." one of the pirates said.

"It was you who sent Bootstrap to the depths!" another added.

"And it's you who brought us here in the first place," Bo'sun said.

"If any coward here dare challenge me, let him speak!" Barbossa shouted, brandishing his sword. "Hmm?"

"I say, we cut her throat and spill all her blood," the first pirate suggested. "Just in case." Barbossa looked over and suddenly noticed the monkey pointing towards the cave exit. Lydia smiled, knowing Elizabeth was able to escape. Even if she had to spend the rest of her life with these pirates, it was a comfort to know that her sister had made it out with Will and Alice. Barbossa looked down to where Elizabeth had landed when he backhanded her.

"The medallion!" he shouted. "She's taken it! Get after her! You feckless pack of ingrates!" The pirates scurried to search the cave for Elizabeth. Yet Lydia somehow knew they would never find her; at least not yet anyway. Barbossa glared down at the smiling Lydia. "The mouse has some cheek now?"

"It appears so," Lydia said. "You won't find her."

"I think we will," Barbossa hissed back. "After all, we have you on our side now."

"I may be your captive, but I am not on your side," she replied. Barbossa bent down and looked directly into Lydia's eyes.

"You will be," he said. "After all, I'm the only one who can teach you the true power of a Nereid."

"What about the other forty-nine of us?" Lydia snapped.

"I've only encountered two others besides you," Barbossa growled. "Neither of which resided in the Caribbean. You'll never find one." Lydia glared daggers into Barbossa's eyes. She had no idea how long the two stared at each other. She only knew time had passed when Barbossa finally said, "Your eyes are going back to grey and the marks on your face are fading."

"Captain!" Bo'sun shouted. "We found Sparrow with some little girl." Barbossa turned and arched an eyebrow. Lydia let out an annoyed sigh. Damn it, Alice... He left Lydia and walked over to where the pirates were gathering. He looked over at Jack Sparrow, who was leaning casually against an oar. Alice stood next to him and shrugged.

"How the blazes did you get off that island?" Barbossa asked.

"When you marooned me on that godforsaken spit of land, you forgot one very important thing, mate. I'm Captain Jack Sparrow," Jack said. Lydia rolled her eyes at the pirate's arrogance. Were all pirates so egotistical? Barbossa turned to Alice and inspected her.

"And who might you be? Jack's newest flame?"

"No," Alice said. "Merely a girl trying to save her sisters. Namely Lydia and Elizabeth, but it seems that only Lydia is here. Oh where could Elizabeth be, I wonder?" Lydia could have choked Alice if her hands weren't bound. Barbossa turned and looked at Lydia with a smirk.

"Sister?" Barbossa drawled. "There seems to be a lot you're not telling me Selwyn, if that's even your name." Lydia remained silent, glaring holes into Alice. Alice mouthed an apology to Lydia, not that it really mattered anymore. " Well, Jack, I won't be making that mistake again. Gents, you all remember Captain Jack Sparrow?" The crew laughed and smirked. "Kill them."

"No!" Lydia shouted as the crew aimed their weapons at Jack and Alice.

"The girl's blood didn't work, did it?" Jack questioned with a knowing smirk. Barbossa paused and turned around.

"Hold your fire!" Barbossa commanded. The pirates groaned and reluctantly lowered their weapons. Lydia breathed a sigh of relief. Alice was still safe... for now, at least. "You know whose blood we need?"

"I know whose blood you need." Jack said. Barbossa seemed to ponder this for a moment and finally let out a sinister smirk.

"Take them aboard," Barbossa ordered. He looked over at Lydia with a sharp glare. "I'll take care of our Nereid." The pirates grabbed Jack and Alice by the arms and dragged them off. Barbossa took a hold of Lydia's left arm and forced her to her feet. "Why don't we start with you telling me your real name?"

"Swann," she said. "Lydia Swann." Barbossa let out a laugh. He dragged her along through the caves and towards the boats. Jack and Alice were already being bound by rope when the two got there.

"Well, Swann," he said to her. "We have a hell of a lot to talk about back on the Pearl." He forced into his longboat and sat down in front of her. He motioned for the men to row out, dead set on finding the child of William Turner.


	13. Curse of the Black Pearl: Chapter 12

Alice let out a squeal as she was thrown into the brig of the Black Pearl. She glared up at the pirates as they closed and locked her cell. She lied down in the seawater that covered the entirety of the bottom of the ship. The pirates laughed at her as they left the brig and ascended onto the deck. Alice huffed and let herself get covered in the seawater. Normally the salty water calmed her, but at the moment it was causing a little too much anxiety. "Relax, Alice," she murmured to herself. "Relax." She heard the sound of footsteps and let out a guttural growl. The last thing she wanted right now was to see another pirate. She heard the slosh of water and she turned her head to see who had come down. She sprung up, water flying around from her sudden splashing around, and gasped. "Lydia!"

"Alice, you idiot!" Lydia snapped with a smile on her face as she knelt down in front of Alice's cell. "Why on earth are you with Jack Sparrow!?"

"Really?" Alice asked with a laugh. "You see me for the first time in two weeks after being trapped aboard a pirate vessel and that's the first thing you say?" Alice looked down at Lydia's now-wet hands and watched the markings swirl to life. "Why didn't you tell me you were a Nereid?"

"I didn't know until today," Lydia said, looking at her hands. "First undead pirates, then I find out I'm some sea goddess..."

"Wait, undead pirates?" Alice asked in confusion. Lydia furrowed her brow in confusion and tilted her head.

"You didn't know?" she asked. Alice arched an eyebrow and sat down cross-legged in front of her elder sister. Lydia took a breath and began to explain. "All of the men on this ship are cursed. Though I figure you've figured that out. After all, you saw most of that ceremony." Alice nodded. "What you don't seem to know is what exactly that curse is. You see, the moment they took the gold coins from that chest, they were cursed to live as neither dead nor alive. They suffer a living death in which they can't feel or taste anything, and when they step into the moonlight, their flesh vanishes from their bones, and they become walking skeletons."

"Oh damn," Alice murmured. Lydia nodded. "You've seen it."

"Every night for the past week," she said. "It gets easier. The first time I saw it was horrible. Though, for Elizabeth it was worse. The crew downright tortured her. I could only sit and watch." Alice stuck her hand through the bars of the cell and touched her sister's marked hand.

"It must be horrible," Alice said. Lydia shrugged and immediately winced, grabbing her right shoulder. "What happened?"

"I got caught in a crossfire leaving Port Royal," Lydia said as she rubbed her shoulder.

"You got shot!?" Alice shouted. Lydia nodded. She pulled down the sleeve of her dress and revealed a bandage-covered shoulder. "How have you been able to take care of it?"

"The Captain's actually been cleaning and rewrapping the wound," Lydia admitted. Alice dropped her jaw and widened her eyes. Barbossa was taking care of her gunshot wound?

"So he's willing to kill me without a second thought, but he takes care of your shoulder wound before finding out you're a Nereid?" Alice asked. Lydia merely shrugged and let out a breath. "He could possibly be more bizarre than I am."

"No one knows what drives you, Alice," Lydia said with a faint smile. "However, I know that Barbossa is driven by exactly one thing: greed."

"How does greed play into him taking care of your shoulder?" Alice asked. She froze and widened her eyes. "Damn. I'm starting to sound like Kitty."

"All I know is that he said he had a hunch I was useful to him," Lydia said. "He didn't know how. He just knew I'd be of use to him later. I guess we know my use to him now..."

"But now he has a use to you," Alice said with a smirk. Lydia narrowed her eyes and arched her brow. "He obviously knows a lot about what you are. Use him to learn what you can do. Maybe it could help us get out of this mess." Lydia seemed to ponder this and let out a knowing smile.

"He _did_ say that he was the only one in the Caribbean that could help me attain the true power of a Nereid," she murmured. "But I'm pretty sure he was bluffing."

"I don't know," Alice said. "He's the captain of a ship of undead pirates. He's got to know more than the average pirate captain." Alice sighed and took her sister's hand. "It's worth a try. Not to mention it's your best shot at freedom. Now that he knows about your Nereid-ness, I doubt he'll release you willingly."

"Nereid-ness?" Lydia asked in confusion.

"I don't know," Alice laughed. She bit her lower lip and said, "Be brave. Be like me. Or if you'd prefer, be like Elizabeth. I know we don't get on well most days." Lydia shrugged and nodded. "Get back on deck before Barbossa finishes talking with Jack. The last thing we'd want is him accusing you of conspiring with me."

"I don't know," Lydia said. "I could always say that I was being a typical woman, anxious over the state of her younger sister. He seems to think I'm a mouse with no backbone."

"Well you kind of are." Lydia narrowed her eyes and stood up. She shook her head and turned to the stairs.

"And this is the reason we don't get on well," she said with a faint laugh. "I'll come down to bring you food when I can. Barbossa tends to forget to feed his prisoners sometimes."

"He's undead," Alice pointed out. "Eating isn't really essential for him." Alice watched as her sister let out a faint laugh and made her way up to the deck. Alice lied back into the sea-water filled cell, watching her hair float out of the corner of her eye. She may be a prisoner of a murderous pirate, but at least she had the smell of the sea to comfort her. Only a few minutes had passed before the pirates came back down with Jack in tow. He was thrown into the cell and fell into the sloshing seawater.

"Apparently there's a leak," Jack said as gruff pirate locked the cell door. He looked over at Alice and sat down beside her. "I never did ask why you chose to stay with me."

"Simple; Will was being an idiot," Alice replied. "I came to get both of my sisters, not just one. My mission isn't over until Lydia's safe at home. Though I can imagine that just got more complicated."

"Yeah..." Jack said with a faint laugh. Alice let out a faint smile and let out a light giggle as well.

"We're doomed," she said with a chuckle. "Is this what being a pirate is like? Messing up and hoping you just get out alive?" Jack seemed to ponder for a second and then turned to Alice with a smirk.

"Yes," he said. "Pretty much. Exhilarating, isn't it?" Alice smiled and nodded.

"I know Lydia's alive. That's all I care about," she said. "She's lasted this long with Barbossa; she can last a little longer. Just like we can last on this ship. After all, we have the amazing Captain Jack Sparrow that roped sea turtles together with back hair." Jack started laughing harder and Alice laughed with him.

"This is why I like you, Swann," Jack said. Alice shrugged and leaned against the curved wall. She sighed as she stared off blankly in front of her. "I'll make sure you get out of here, Alice."

"Just like I'll make sure you make it out of here," she replied. She looked over at Jack and smirked. "Neither one of us needs a watcher. We can both handle ourselves."

"That we can," Jack said. "All we can do right now is sit and wait." Alice nodded and sighed. Jack was right. They just needed to be patient for now. It was all they could do.

* * *

"So you expect to leave me standing on some beach with nothing but a name and your word it's the one I need and watch you sail away in my ship?" Barbossa asked with an arched brow. Sparrow couldn't honestly believe that Barbossa would make a deal that he couldn't keep.

"No," Jack replied. "I expect to leave you standing on some beach with absolutely no name at all, watching me sail away on my ship and then I'll shout the name back to you. Savvy?" Barbossa rolled his eyes and glared at Jack.

"But that still leaves us with the problem of me standing on some beach with naught but a name and your word it's the one I need," he said. Jack picked up some of the green apples that sat in the center of the table and replaced them. Typical Sparrow behavior...

"Of the two of us, I am the only one who hasn't committed mutiny," Jack said. "Therefore, my word is the one we'll be trusting. Although…" he sat down and fiddled with one of the shiny green apples in his hand. "I suppose I should be thanking you because, in fact, if you hadn't betrayed me and left me to die, I would have an equal share in that curse, same as you." Jack took a bite out of the apple. Barbossa clenched his fist. He knew Jack was mocking him; torturing him by eating one fruit Barbossa longed to taste. "Funny ol' world, innit?" Barbossa let out a sneer and glared at the fruit in Jack's grimy hands. Jack then had the audacity to offer some of it to Barbossa. Had Bo'sun not entered the room, Barbossa would be apt to strangle the idiot pirate.

"Captain," Bo'sun said. "We have a visual on the Interceptor." Jack the monkey let out a loud screech and ran across the table. Jack the pirate winced and leaned back in the chair. Barbossa stood up and left the cabin, rushing onto the deck and up the stairs to the bridge. Jack was following him, green apple in hand. Barbossa took out his spyglass and peered through the lens. Far off in the distance was the Interceptor. Though, it was somewhat hard to tell. It was naught but a shrinking speck in the distance. He had to give the ship some credit; it was fast. Suddenly, the sight of semi-rotten teeth covered his view of the opposing ship.

"I'm having a thought here, Barbossa," Jack said. Barbossa put down his spyglass and arched an eyebrow. "What say we run up a flag of truce? I scurry over to the Interceptor, and I negotiate the return of your medallion, eh? What say you to that?"

"Now you see, Jack, that's exactly the attitude that lost you the Pearl. People are easy to search when they're dead," Barbossa said. Jack's smile fell from his face. "Lock him in the brig!" Bo'sun took Jack by the shoulder and pulled him away. Barbossa looked down at the apple he took from Jack's hand and glared at it. He chucked it over the side of the ship and watched as it fell into the sea with a small splash.

"That apple must have really offended you." Barbossa turned his head and saw Lydia Selwyn... well, Lydia _Swann_ walk up to him and lean against the edge of the ship. Barbossa rolled his eyes and took a breath. "I thought more about what you said." She sighed and avoided looking at him. "You're right, for now. You're the only one I know of that understands what I am. I'll be on your side for now. But I have one condition: neither of my sisters are to be harmed. You hurt one of them, I turn against you." Barbossa pondered this and smirked. She finally seemed to understand her situation. Though her condition was something Barbossa could easily manipulate to his advantage. So long as he didn't directly harm Elizabeth or Alice...

"Agreed," he said. He looked over to where he had thrown the apple and saw a few dorsal fins. It seems he attracted a small pod of dolphins. Their timing was seemingly perfect. "Your first lesson starts now."

* * *

Lydia arched her brow in confusion as Barbossa put a hand on her shoulder. It disgusted her enough that she agreed to be on his side for the time being. "You see those dolphins over there?" Lydia looked out into the ocean and saw small pod of dolphins swimming in the currents created by the ship. They leapt playfully out of the water, ignorant to the horrors of the ship they were next to.

"What of them?" she asked.

"Enter the mind of one of them." Lydia stared at Barbossa with widened eyes and a furrowed brow.

"What?" she asked. Barbossa sighed and rolled his eyes. He brought her over to a nearby barrel and sat her down.

"Do what I tell you," Barbossa said. "Close your eyes." Lydia shut her eyes and listened to Barbossa's voice. "Imagine you are one of them. Doesn't matter which one. Imagine feeling the sea rush past you as you swim in the wake of the ship. Imagine having the smooth, rubbery skin of one. Imagine hearing the calls of your brothers and sisters as you swim just under the surface." The long Barbossa spoke, the more distant his voice began to sound. She could almost feel water rushing past her flesh, as if no hair covered it. "Now open your eyes." Lydia did that and was amazed with what she saw.

She was in the sea. Several dolphins swam beside her and made clicking noises. She could understand what they wanted, what they were trying to communicate. She could understand that the dolphins felt no aggression towards the Black Pearl; they only wished to play in the gentle waves the ship made as it passed by. Not to mention fish was apparently in very good supply here. "If you can hear me, jump out of the water," she heard Barbossa's distant voice tell her in the back of her head. Lydia would have smirked if she could and swam straight for the surface. She sprung out of the water and let out a whistle, flipping backwards as she did so. She saw Barbossa standing on the bridge next to her own body, which was being supported only by Barbossa's hand. She could barely see her eyes, but saw that they were completely white; no trace of her iris or pupils. The crew looked at her in awe before she dove back into the water and swam with the rest of her pod. Was it her pod? It was this dolphin's pod but she easily felt as if it were her own.

"Close your eyes and try to come back. " Lydia closed the fattier eyelids of the dolphin and concentrated on Barbossa's voice. Immediately, her eyes shot opened and she gasped for air. She fell to her knees and tried to catch her breath. Barbossa bent down beside her and smirked.

"Oh my God," she breathed out. She couldn't help the smile that was emerging on her face and the laughter that began to surface. "That was the most amazing thing I've ever experienced. I've never seen the sea so clearly. I-I've never felt so..." she paused and looked up at Barbossa. He was staring at her with a smirk and an arched brow. "Free. I've never felt so free." For the first time in the days Lydia had known the undead captain, he smiled earnestly. He extended a hand and helped Lydia to her feet.

"At least one of us can feel freedom," he said. Lydia was silent and nodded. A wave of dizziness caught her and she stumbled forward. Barbossa caught her and wrapped an arm around her waist to keep her standing. "That's probably a side effect of having a tail for a few minutes."

"Probably," Lydia responded. Normally she would have shoved the pirate captain away from her, yet for some reason she felt almost safe in his arms this time. She tried to shove that thought to the back of her mind. "I should probably sit a little longer. Part of me wants to try that again, but the rational side of me knows it's a stupid idea."

"Aye," Barbossa said. He helped Lydia back to the barrel she was previously sitting on. She looked out into the pod of dolphins. Part of her could still feel the connection between her and the playful creatures.

"Is it normal for me to still feel like I'm one of them?" she asked.

"I don't know for sure, but I'd say yes," he replied.

"Captain! We're gaining on the Interceptor!" Bo'sun called out. Lydia tensed her jaw and looked up at Barbossa.

"Wait in my cabin, Miss Swann," Barbossa told her. "I'll not be risking the life of a Nereid. Tis too valuable to waste." Lydia nodded and attempted to stand up. She at once fell to her knees, her legs still wobbly. Barbossa extended his hand and raised an expectant eyebrow. She took his hand and he helped her stand up, using his other arm to support her waist. He led her down the steps.

"Less than five minutes with a tail and suddenly I can hardly walk," she muttered.

"It'll get easier," he replied as he opened the door to his cabin. She walked over to a chair and collapsed into it.

"What else can a Nereid do?" Lydia asked. It was as if she was suddenly curious about her potential. If she could essential leave her body and become a dolphin, what else was she capable of?

"I'll show you as soon as this business with the curse is over," Barbossa said with a faint smirk. He turned around and shut the door. Lydia didn't realize he had locked it until she heard a loud clicking sound from the other side. She tried to run towards the door but fell down the moment she tried to stand. She hit the floor with the edge of her fist, now frustrated that she was locked in a cabin and could barely walk.


	14. Curse of the Black Pearl: Chapter 13

Lydia crawled her way towards the door, pain shooting though her right arm as she strained her shoulder to move across the floor. She used the handle as a support to stand up. She pounded on the locked door and shouted, "Barbossa! Open this door! Barbossa!"

"Haul on the main brace! Make ready the guns! And run out the sweeps," she heard Barbossa's muffled voice shout out. She pounded on the door again and again, seemingly ignored by everyone on deck. She would have stayed out of the way if asked, but locking her in a room was just degrading and humiliating for her. She groaned and slumped down against the door. She took in a breath to attempt to calm herself and rubbed her now-aching shoulder. She thought about the pod of dolphins and an idea suddenly hatched in her head.

Only her body was trapped in this room; her mind was free to wander.

Lydia closed her eyes and focused on the sensation of becoming one of those dolphins. She tried to remember the feeling of rubbery flesh and the feeling of water rushing past her as she swam in the currents of the sea. The moment she felt that her eyelids were fattier, she opened her eyes and found herself surrounded by the pod of dolphins. Instead of playful, however, they were fearful. _Flee!_ They clicked. _Away! Danger! Flee! Booms! Away! Away!_

The instinctual part of her wanted to swim away as fast as she could with the pod to escape the loud, yet muffled booms of the cannons and the speed of the ships. Yet Lydia willed her own mind to go against instincts as she leap out of the see to look at what was happening on both the Black Pearl and the Interceptor. Barrels were being thrown off of the Interceptor, most likely in an attempt to lighten the ship and gain speed.

_Away! Metal falling! Danger!_ She heard the pod click. Metal falling… the Interceptor must have dropped the anchor. Sand kicked up from the anchor dragging along the bottom of the ocean, a little getting into Lydia's eyes. They stung slightly, but not enough to be distracting. "They're clubhauling! Hard to port! Rack the starboard oars!" she heard Barbossa order. She hopped out of the water and watched as Barbossa strode across the deck to shout commands to his crew. His eyes darted to her and narrowed. "Damn it, Swann!" he shouted at her. Lydia fell back into the water, hiding from the wrath of Barbossa.

The two ships pulled up beside each other. She heard both sides call for the cannons to fire and loud booms echoed even under the water. Instinct took over and Lydia felt the dolphin frantically swim downwards as fast as it could. Above she could hear the yelling of pirates as they prepared for battle. _Fight! War! Danger! Flee!_ Finally, the crashes of cannon fire could be heard.

_Sharp metal! Round metal! Booms! Loud! Danger! Flee! Flee!_ The dolphins clicked. Lydia gain enough control to see what appeared to be a few forks sinking down to the depths of the ocean. Why would the Interceptor be firing forks? Maybe they had dropped the cannonballs earlier when trying to lighten the ship. She swam up to the other side of the Black Pearl and skimmed just above the surface. She could see the smoke from the cannons rising above the waters and into the skies. Bits of wood flung from the ships as cannonballs met timber. A few men fell from the ships and into the sea, falling past Lydia. It was an absolutely chaotic frenzy.

"Raise yer colors ya blooming cockroaches! Hands, grapnels, at the ready. Prepare to board!" Barbossa ordered. He looked down and glared at the dolphin Lydia was currently possessing. "Swann! Get out of the dolphin!" She attempt to speak to retort, but ended up letting out a loud squeal. Right. She was an aquatic mammal. She couldn't speak like a human. She heard a loud crash and the wooden mast of the Interceptor fell down onto the Black Pearl.

A silence hung in the air while both sides were registering what happened. "Blast all to carcasses, men! Forward clear to the powder magazine. And the rest of you, bring me the medallion!" Lydia hopped out of the water to watch what was happening on deck. Jack the monkey darted across the mast as the crew threw their grapnels to the edge of the Interceptor. "For the last time, Swann, get out of the dolphin!" The crewmen swung from the Black Pearl to the Interceptor, guns and swords at the ready. Lydia could smell the blood as dead men fell from the ships. She could almost taste the coppery tang as she swum along the bottom of the sea.

Suddenly a cannon fell from one of the ships; she didn't know which one. It landed on top of Lydia, pushing her down to the ocean floor and pinning her tail to the shoals. The dolphin took over, frantically trying to free its tail. _Stuck! Help! Stuck!_ It clicked to the pod. But the pod was long gone; cannon fire had assured that. Its cries fell upon deaf ears. Lydia felt her mind losing control over the panicked dolphin. It wriggled and squirmed, feeling its lungs start to burn from the lack of air. It couldn't get free; Lydia and the dolphin were trapped on the bottom of the ocean. It didn't help that a dead man fell on top of her only a few minutes later. Darkness appeared to be closing in around her from every angle. She felt the dolphin lose consciousness as it drowned from being pinned by the person and the cannon.

_I need to get back to my body,_ Lydia thought. She closed her fatty eyelids and tried to focusing on being in her own skin. She imagined being dry and lying on the floor, waiting in a locked room for Barbossa to free her. Her lungs were still on fire and for a moment she thought she wouldn't be able to come back to her own body.

Then suddenly, Lydia found herself back on the Black Pearl, gasping for air. She was able to get onto her hands and knees and crawl over to a nearby bucket that she promptly vomited in. Her breaths were heavy and ragged and her body seemed to shake with tremors she couldn't control. Her arms felt tingly and numb, as well as her feet. She felt an overall sense of panic and guilt. The dolphin dying at the bottom of the ocean was dying because of her. She heard what sounded like a cry of victory from the pirates on the Black Pearl. They must have succeeded in getting the medallion. A few minutes later, she heard a loud explosion echo across the sea.

In her head, she heard the shrill squeals of the dolphin pod that had left the area. She screamed as the squeals echoed on and on, bouncing around in her skull causing a pain like she'd never experienced. She curled up on the floor, gripping her head so tightly that she could feel strands of hair getting pulled out. The pressure and squeals were so intense she couldn't think or breathe. All she could do was lie there in pain.

* * *

"They're throwing barrels of the ship," Jack said as he peered out of the hole in the cell. He turned his head around to see Alice arching an eyebrow and moving closer to see from the hole.

"They're trying to lighten the ship, make it go faster," Alice said. "Which means the Pearl is gaining on the Interceptor fast." They waited as the Black Pearl caught up to the Interceptor. Outside they could hear the shouts of the crew and the squealing of a single dolphin. Why that dolphin was stupid enough to hang about a pirate warzone was beyond Jack.

The Pearl suddenly turned hard to port, flinging Jack against the metal cell. Alice's small body flung against him, knocking them both to the ground. He easily saw Alice flush and quickly get off of him. He went back to the hole and looked out, watching the Interceptor's hull come into view as the ships sailed side by side. He heard yelling and the booms of cannons. He saw one heading towards the cell and dived out of the way, pushing Alice down with him. He raised his head and shouted, "Stop blowing holes in my ship!"

"Jack? Can you get off me?" Alice asked. Jack turned to face her, now realizing that she was still pinned beneath him. He got up off of her and sat on his knees, the cold seawater seeping into his boot and trousers. Alice sat up as well, the water causing her shirt to hug her rather nice (in Jack's opinion) curves. Alice furrowed her brow in confusion as she seemed to grip something under the water. She pulled up Gibb's leather flask by the string and stared at Jack. He took the flask and tried to take a swig of the rum inside. When he tried to pour the sweet alcohol into his mouth, however, he discovered that the pouch as empty. He felt a hand on his shoulder as Alice whispered, "Jack! Look!"

Jack looked to where Alice was pointing and saw that the lock to their cell had been blasted away by the cannons. He smiled, got up, and gently pushed the door open. "Don't just sit there!" He said to her. "Let's get out of here."

"You don't need to tell me twice," Alice replied, getting up and following Jack out of the cell. They ran up the steps from the bottom of the ship. A few moments later, the two appeared on the deck, seemingly invisible to the fighting pirates around them. The two looked at each other, shrugged, and walked casually across the deck. Jack jumped onto the edge, extending his hand to Alice. A pirate swung over on a rope that Jack grabbed. The pirate fell into the water with a loud splash.

"Thanks very much," Jack said. Alice stepped onto the ledge and held onto Jack as he swung from the Pearl to the Interceptor. Unfortunately, Jack wasn't very good at landing. He knocked over one of the undead pirates into the sea while Alice let go of him and landed on the deck of the Interceptor.

"Jack!" she shouted. He swung back towards the Interceptor and landed smoothly on the deck in front of Gibbs.

"Jack!" he exclaimed. Jack held out Gibbs' flask and dropped it into his hands.

"Bloody empty," he said. He heard the sound of Alice screaming and turned to the source. She was fighting off another pirate with only her tiny little dagger.

"Alice!?" he heard Elizabeth shout. Jack ran over to the two sisters and tried to help them fight off the enemy pirates. One held his sword to strike down Elizabeth, but Jack calmly grabbed his wrist.

"That's not very nice," Jack said. Elizabeth took the opportunity to knock him off of the ship with the end of her rifle. Alice kicked the other pirate over the side while he was distracted by the appearance of Jack. Alice bent down and picked up a dropped sword, keeping the pirates off of Jack and Elizabeth.

"Where's the medallion?" Jack asked Elizabeth.

"Wretch!" she shouted as she tried to slap him. He grabbed her wrist and noticed her bandaged hand.

"Ah," he said, making the connections inside his head. "Where's dear William?" Elizabeth gasp as she turned around, remember where Will had gone. Elizabeth ran over to the grate that Will was trapped under.

"Jack! Monkey!" Alice suddenly shouted. He looked up and saw the monkey running across the Interceptor's fallen mast, carrying the medallion in his tiny little monkey hands.

"Monkey!" Jack shouted as he darted towards the capuchin. He was crawling across the mast, so close to getting the monkey… yet when he looked up, the monkey was already on Barbossa's shoulder and the medallion sitting in his grimy hands.

"Why thank ye, Jack," he said.

"You're welcome," Jack said with a forced smile, trying to swallow the numerous words he wanted to say to that murderous, traitorous mutineer of a pirate.

"Not you," Barbossa said. "We named the monkey Jack." He held up the medallion in his hands and shouted, "Gents! Our hope is restored!" Barbossa's men raised their swords and gun and let out a loud cry of victory. Jack could only sit on the mast, cursing his bad timing and failure to retrieve that stupid cursed medallion.

He watched as Alice was carried onto the ship by two of Barbossa's men. Twigg and Koehler by the looks of it. She struggled against their grip and was spewing a string of curses at the two of them. If anything, the two pirates looked more amused than intimidated by her. The Pearl turned her rudder away from the Interceptor as the crew (plus Elizabeth and Alice) were tied to the mast of the Pearl. "If any of you so much as thinks the word 'parley,' I'll have your guts for garters."

"Too late," Alice sneered. Jack smirked at the girl's snark. It was one of her more endearing traits… well, in his opinion at least. Elizabeth threw the ropes over her head as she went to approach Barbossa. That was when the Interceptor exploded. The crew laughed as the Interceptor shattered and began to fall to the bottom of the sea. He suddenly heard a loud scream come from Barbossa's cabin. "Lydia!" Alice shouted.

Elizabeth ran towards Barbossa and tried to attack him. "You've got to stop it!" Elizabeth shouted. "Stop it!" Barbossa turned around and grabbed both of Elizabeth's wrists.

"Welcome back, Miss. You took advantage of our hospitality last time. It holds fair now that you return the favor," Barbossa said. He pushed Elizabeth towards the crew, who began to grab her as she screamed. Suddenly a very wet Will appeared on the deck.

"Barbossa!" he shouted. The crew silenced and he could heard Elizabeth whisper Will's name. "She goes free!" Jack looked at Will, who was now pointing Jack's pistol at Barbossa, praying he wouldn't do anything stupid.

* * *

"What's in your head, boy?" Barbossa asked. How this mysterious boy survived the blast of the Interceptor and managed to avoid capture was beyond him. At the moment, he was also trying to bury the sudden urge to run into his cabin and help Lydia. He warned her to leave the dolphin, knowing this would happen. He should have felt no remorse for the girl and her stupidity, yet part of him wanted to comfort her. He'd figure out his motivations for that later, though. He had an idiot boy to deal with now.

"She goes free," the boy repeated.

Jack looked at the boy almost frantically and pleaded, "Don't do anything stupid!"

"You can't," the boy said as he stepped up onto the edge of the ship. He then pointed the gun under his neck. Elizabeth squirmed against his crew. Interesting… the boy meant something to her. "I can."

"Who are you?" Barbossa asked.

"No one. He's no one," Jack quickly said, obscuring Barbossa's view of the boy. "A distant cousin of my aunt's nephew twice removed. Lovely singing voice, though – eunuch."

"My name is Will Turner," the boy announced. "My father was Bootstrap Bill Turner. His blood runs in my veins."

"He's the spitting image of old Bootstrap Bill come back to haunt us," Ragetti shouted.

"Oh my word do as I say, or I'll pull this trigger and be lost to Davy Jones' Locker," Will said, Barbossa wasn't about to hesitate and lose the only way of breaking the damned curse.

"Name your terms, Mr. Turner," Barbossa said.

"Elizabeth goes free!" Will shouted.

"Yes, we know that one," Barbossa said, clearly annoyed. "Anything else?"

"Elizabeth's sisters go free as well," Will said. "And the crew are not to be harmed." Barbossa smirked and took a step towards Will.

"I keep the Nereid," he said. "I keep her or none of your ladies go free." Will seemed to think about this before sighing and nodded.

"Lydia won't be harmed?" he asked.

"She won't be harmed." Barbossa wasn't going to risk Lydia's wrath once she knew her true potential.

"Then why did she just scream a few minutes ago?" Alice demanded. He turned around and looked at the little blonde spitfire. The girl definitely had the makings of a pirate… just a pirate that clearly chose the wrong side.

"That'd be her own fault," Barbossa said. He turned back to Will and said, "We're agreed. Lock them all up. I'll deal with the Nereid." He watched as the crew grabbed the boy, the Swann sisters, and Jack and his crew. The entire way down to the brig, Alice was screaming and cursing at them. He chuckled at the girl's antics. She was definitely a spitfire; the polar opposite of her eldest sister. He turned towards his cabin and unlocked the door, ready to guide the idiot girl through the repercussions of possessing a dolphin as long as she did.


	15. Curse of the Black Pearl: Chapter 14

Lydia heard the door open, but she didn't have the energy to say anything. She stayed curled up on the floor, her mind still filled with the shrill squeals of frightened dolphins. The words 'danger' and 'flee' bounced around in her head, echoing so load it was deafening. Her eyes were shut as tight as they could possibly close. "I told you to get out of the dolphin, you stupid girl," she could barely hear Barbossa tell her. She couldn't breathe or speak. She felt a pair of arms wrap around her shoulders. "Easy…" Another wave of nausea came over Lydia and she grabbed the bucket, vomiting into it again.

"I killed her," she whimpered, pain still filling her head. "It's my fault she's dead…"

"Calm yourself, Lydia," Barbossa said. He held back her long black hair as she threw up for the third time. "Breathe."

"So afraid," she breathed out. "I can hear them. They're so loud, so scared."

"You need to sever the connection to the pod," he told her with a surprisingly gentle hand rubbing her right shoulder.

"I can hardly think. I can barely hear you," she said, gripping her hair again.

"Push them from your mind," he told her. "Concentrate on me; only me. They aren't here. They're probably miles from here. Right now, the only people here are you and me. Let them go. Let their thoughts and mentalities go. You have to tell them to stop shouting. Tell yourself to stop listening to them." Lydia could feel her ragged breathing begin to steady. She tried to force the dolphins out of her mind and pushed everything that had happened to the back of her mind, telling herself she'd handle them when she was calmer.

The voices started to soften little by little as she sat there on the ground, tears streaming down her face and heaving into a bucket. All the while, Barbossa sat there with her, holding back her hair and lightly rubbing her back and shoulder. She didn't know why he was choosing to comfort her rather than scold her or leave her to deal with this on her own. She didn't know why she was so accepting of the comfort he was giving her. Her breathing was starting to even out and her nausea was beginning to subside. The voices were distant echoes that seemed miles away. She opened her eyes and turned to Barbossa. Her grey eyes still stung from salty tears and the cold sweat that formed on her brow when she was vomiting.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked. Barbossa's face didn't change in the slightest.

"We're both suffering, Lydia," he said. "Are the voices gone?"

"Nearly," she said. She turned to sit down, using her good hand to clear the hair that was dangling in front of her face. She noticed several strands of her black hair had wrapped themselves around her hand. "Please tell me I don't have a bald spot."

"Nay, you don't," he replied. The faint gentleness on his face suddenly disappeared and turned into a steely coldness. "You should have listened to me, Swann." Lydia looked down and avoided looking at his eyes. "There was a reason I only let you stay in the first dolphin for so short a time. You have no experience with this. The longer you are one, the stronger of a connection you have to its kind. Not just dolphins. Fish, squids, and every manner of sea creature. You should have left when I told ye to, you stupid girl."

"You also locked me in a room," Lydia snapped back. "There's nothing you wouldn't do for a taste of freedom. Did you honestly expect me to just stay in here while knowing my mind could escape?"

"I don't know what I expected," he hissed back. "But in the future, you _will_ listen to me. I know more about you than you do."

"You know more about Nereids than I do. You don't know more about me than I do," Lydia growled, attempting to stand up. She collapsed onto floor, her legs shakier and less stable than before. Barbossa took her arms and guided her up, leading her to the edge of the unused bed in the room. She sat down, looking up at the infuriating pirate captain. "Just like I don't know you as you know yourself." Barbossa glared down at her, not saying a word.

"Perhaps," he said. "I hardly know you, you hardly know me. That's not the point, though. My point is that I know more about Nereids than you and that you need to listen to me when I tell you to get out of a dolphin." He walked towards the door and opened it up, letting a bright beam of sunlight enter the room and surround him. He turned his head and said, "Don't come out until you can walk properly." He left the cabin and shut the door behind him, but she didn't hear a lock. The idea of being stuck in an unlocked room was more comforting than being in a locked room, hardly able to move. Perhaps he did so to ensure she stayed inside her own body. She fell back against the bed and sighed, trying to push the faint voices and thoughts of the now-dead dolphin out of her mind. She didn't realize she had drifted asleep until she had reached the point of unconsciousness.

* * *

Kitty stood on the deck of the Dauntless, looking out at the sea. The light, sweet smell of the deep blue sea filled her nostrils and the light wind blew strands of light brown hair around her face. Her white and maroon dress rippled around her as she watched the sunlight glitter off the ocean like a thousand diamonds. They had been at sea for nine days now. Kitty entertained herself with practice on the violin and conversations with Commodore Norrington. Of course, the previous night there was a horrible, horrible storm. While the sailors on the deck handled everything that needed handling during this storm, Kitty and her father sat in their cabin, waiting for the skies to clear. She would never forget the nausea from the rapidly rocking boat. At least she was with her father and not alone.

Every day, Kitty worried for her sisters who were who-knows-where. Every day, she wondered where they were and if they were even still alive. She wanted to both kill and hold Alice, who stupidly went with Will Turner on their idea of a heroic rescue mission. And every day she felt her repressed feelings for Commodore James Norrington grow. She felt her heart flutter when he stood on the bridge, shouting commands to his crew, looking so authoritative and strong. She couldn't look away when seeing the faint joy on his face when looking at the cerulean sea. Not that the men would have noticed it. It was one of those things that Kitty was very sure only she could pick out.

"Katherine," a deep voice greeted. Speak of the devil… the man in her thoughts had just suddenly appeared beside her. "I trust you're alright after the storm last night?"

"I am," Kitty replied. "Father still looks absolutely green. If it weren't for the circumstances, I'd find his reaction almost humorous."

"Indeed," Norrington said with a very faint smirk. "The men love it when you play your violin, you know. It renews their drive to do their jobs."

"One of the many reasons I love music," Kitty said. "It can bring those together that would normally not interact. It can renew strength, make someone feel emotions they thought long dead, create a moment where two people realize they love each other…" her voice faltered and she let out a sad smile. "Cheer someone up who is feeling down. I've been using it to distract myself from everything that's been happening. If the crew is grateful to for distracting myself, then perhaps I should do so more often."

"Perhaps," Norrington said. "But you have to face your own troubles eventually, lest they grow and become unbearable. If you ever need to speak with someone other than your father, know that I am here for you. You have been my dearest friend for many years now, Katherine. I hate seeing you so upset."

"Just as I hate seeing you upset as well," Kitty said. "I see you worry for my sister every day, James."

"I worry for you and Lydia as well," he replied.

"Not Alice?" Kitty asked with faint smirk.

"Her situation is the fault of her own stupidity and bravado," Norrington said. "Your father and I have discussed imprisoning her for a night to teach her a lesson. Mostly in jest, though. There's no reason to look so horrified, Katherine."

"I don't look horrified," Kitty replied, attempting to bury her look of shock.

"I know you well enough," he said with a light chuckle. _Not well enough to know my feelings for you…_ Kitty bitterly thought to herself. Not that she would act on those feelings. She loved her sister too much to ruin her prospects of a good marriage and she loved James too much to break his heart on why Elizabeth was truly courting him.

"Just as I know you," Kitty said. She looked out at the sea, watching the sunlight dance off the small waves. Suddenly, a chuck of wood drifted by. Both she and James narrowed their eyes at the piece of wood. James rushed up the steps of the bridge to get a better vantage point of where this wood came from. Kitty picked up the front of her skirts and followed him.

"Commodore… it's the Interceptor," she heard Gillette whisper. Kitty gasped at what she saw off the bridge, covering her mouth with one gloved hand and leaning against the rail with the other. In front of her was the wreckage of the fastest ship on the Caribbean. She couldn't breathe or speak. She could only stare in shock and horror as the realization that the ship her sister was one was now destroyed.

"Alice…" she was finally able to whisper. She felt a hand on her shoulder and saw Norrington looking at her with clear concern. "Oh Alice…"

"We don't know she was on there," he told her. "We don't even know for sure it was the Interceptor. Come with me, Katherine. You shouldn't see such things."

"James, you know better than to lie to me," she said, tears beginning to fall down her face. "You know it's the Interceptor as well as I do. But you are right in a sense. We don't know for sure if Alice was on there. We can only hope that she's on the Black Pearl… not that the thought is any more comforting." She felt Norrington guide her down the bridge, clearly not wanting her to see the remainder of the wreckage. He guided her down to the captain's cabin, most likely to convince her to rest or something. He led her inside the cabin and sat her down in a nearby chair. It wasn't until she sat down that she realized her legs were so shaky.

"Katherine, I can see how distressed you are. You can't hide that from me," Norrington told her, kneeling in front of her. Kitty took a deep breath and tried to hold back the tears that threatened to spill.

"James, I'm fine," she said.

"No you're not," he snapped. He took both of her hands and held them. It was hard for Kitty to ignore the increase in her heartbeat. Even through her white gloves she could feel the warmth of his hands. "Should you ever need anything, I will always be here for you."

"I know," she said. "I know I'm lying to myself and I know you're always there to speak to, but I just… I don't even know anymore." Norrington touched her cheek and gently guided her face to look at him. He pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear and for a moment she couldn't breathe. Brown eyes met green and a thick silence hung in the air.

Before anything registered in Kitty's mind, Norrington had leaned up and kissed her.

The warmth of his lips sent a fiery current through Kitty's body. They were soft as she had imagined they'd be. She should have felt happy that the man she had loved for so long was kissing her, yet all she could feel was a deep feeling of guilt in the pit of her stomach. She pulled away and turned away. Almost immediately her lips felt cold and empty. "We shouldn't," she said.

"Katherine, I-"

"It would be better if you just left, Commodore," Kitty interrupted, her voice cold. "Just go. Now." Norrington tensed her jaw and got up, leaving the room swiftly. It wasn't until the door clicked shut that Kitty let the tears flow. She let out a faint hiccup as she sobbed into her hands, staining her gloves with tears. Why was everything so complicated right now?

* * *

"FUCKING BASTARD SONS OF WHORES!" Alice screamed as she was thrown into a cell with Elizabeth and Anamaria. The large, dark-skinned pirate glared at the girl as he shut and locked the cell. "FUCK YOU!" she shouted as he ascended to the deck.

"I've never heard such a sailor's mouth on a lady," Gibbs said from the next cell over. Jack was sitting next to him, laughing harder than she thought anyone could laugh.

"It's Alice," Elizabeth snorted. "She's not much of a lady. I can't believe Barbossa…"

"I can't believe he wasn't willing to free Lydia," Alice replied, "That fucking-"

"Alice, the next time I hear that word out of your mouth I'm going to slap you," Elizabeth snapped, leaning against the wooden walls of the ship.

"Fine," Alice hissed. "That _bloody_ bastard. Happy?" She looked over at Jack, who was sharing a cell with Gibbs and some other members of the crew. "Any plan?"

"Until I know what Barbossa intends to do with us, I have nothing," Jack said, calming down. Alice let out a huff and slid down to the floor, sitting next to the metal grid separating her and Jack. Water was beginning to seem into her trousers again. Just when they were starting to dry a little… "Sorry, love. Hard to escape a curse ship in the middle of the sea and stay alive."

"I know…" Alice grumbled. "So we just sit here and wait it out?"

"Pretty much," Jack said. Alice groaned and ran a wet hand through her hair. "Hate being idle?"

"You have no idea," Alice said. "I was never able to sit still when I was younger."

"You still can't sit still," Elizabeth said with a faint smile. "Only a month ago you were noticeably squirming during Father's dinner party."

"Because I hate being stuck in the middle of boring small talk between rich gits," Alice said with a laugh. She molded her face into a mocking, stern face. "Governor, my son is growing so fond of your daughter, perhaps they would consider courting? Governor, my son so aspires to work in politics, perhaps you might have a connection? Have you seen the beautiful gardens in the Nottingham estate? The roses are blooming wonderfully this year." As she spoke, teasing the high class of Port Royal, she flourished her hands, over exaggerating tones of voice and accents.

"Don't forget Lady Margaret and her many cats," Elizabeth added. Alice laughed and shook her head.

"If I had to hear one more thing about that old woman's cats…" she said. Alice sat and leaned against the metal, sitting silently as the crew idly did nothing in the cells. Confinement was definitely a bitch.


	16. Curse of the Black Pearl: Chapter 15

Lydia woke up to the sunlight shining into the captain's cabin. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, wincing at the pain in her bad shoulder. Apparently she slept on it strangely yesterday. She stood up and tried to walk over to the window. Though her steps were somewhat wobbly, she managed walking just fine. She had decided that she definitely wasn't going to possess any more dolphins anytime soon. She still felt insatiable guilt in the pit of her stomach for causing the death of that one dolphin…

Lydia knew she could never let that happen again. It felt as if she had betrayed the poor creature. It felt as if she betrayed the very sea itself. She looked out the window and stared out at the cerulean sea. She thought about what had happened with Alice and Elizabeth. She thought about what else she was capable of. She thought about what fate that Barbossa had in store for her and her sisters. She thought about the pod of dolphins which was probably long gone. She thought of Will and Jack Sparrow and the crew they picked up in Tortuga. So many thoughts were running through her head. She didn't even hear it when the cabin door opened. She didn't even realize that Barbossa was in the room until he put a hand on her shoulder.

Lydia gasped and spun around, not expecting the touch. She let out a faint sigh of relief when she saw it was Barbossa. "Can you refrain from doing that?"

"I thought you heard me enter," he said, not sounding the least bit apologetic. "You look better now than you did two days ago." Lydia froze and narrowed her eyes.

"It's been two days?" she asked. Barbossa nodded. "I was asleep for two days?"

"Technically a day and a half, but I think you get the idea," Barbossa said. Lydia groaned and turned back to the window.

"Perfect," Lydia muttered. "My sisters?"

"Alive," Barbossa said. "When I make a promise, I keep it."

"You do, but from what I've seen you look for every available loophole," Lydia snorted, turning to look at the pirate captain. Barbossa merely shrugged, neither confirming nor denying the statement. "What did you want? You must have come here for a reason."

"Wanted to see if you were actually awake," Barbossa said. "I would say that I hope you didn't mind I changed your bandages, but that'd be a lie. I really don't care if you mind it or not."

"I wouldn't have assumed any less of you," Lydia with a ghost of smile. "How far to the Isla de Muerta? We should nearly be there now."

"We're not going to the Isla de Muerta yet," Barbossa said. Lydia turned around and narrowed her eyes. Barbossa smirked and laughed. "And I'm not telling you where we're going. What fun would that be?"

"Why aren't you going to the Isla de Muerta? I thought you'd be rushing to get rid of the curse," Lydia asked.

"I could tell you, but what's the fun in that?" Barbossa asked with his signature, devilish smirk. Lydia rolled her eyes and sighed, knowing she shouldn't have expected any less. Barbossa sure liked to keep her in the dark. "Do you feel any stronger?"

"I can walk and speak in coherent sentences," Lydia said. "I doubt that's what you're looking for, though."

"It's strong enough," Barbossa said. He smirked and turned around, walking out of the room. He shut the door behind him, which pretty much indicated that he was not to be followed and that Lydia was to wait in the cabin for him. She wasn't entirely sure it was a good thing that she understood a majority of his mannerisms after only a few weeks. Of course, she _had_ been around him almost constantly in that time, so perhaps it wasn't so strange. She shook the thought from her head as Barbossa entered the room again, this time carrying a bucket. "I had the crew save a bucket a bilge water."

"Why do we need bilge water?" Lydia asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Well, we don't _exactly_ need bilge water," Barbossa said with his characteristic smirk. He set the bucket down on a nearby table. Jack the Monkey entered the room and hopped on his master's shoulder. "We merely need sea water. You're going to control it."

"I'm going to do what now?" Lydia asked.

"The two Nereids I met greeted me by creating waves in an attempt to sink my ship," Barbossa said. "From what I understand, all Nereids can control seawater. You're going to learn how. Obvious beginning this training with the sea in its rawest form isn't going to go over too well. So we're starting small with a mere bucket of seawater."

"All right…" Lydia murmured, standing up and walking over to the bucket. "What am supposed to be doing?"

"The tales say that the key to controlling the water is meditation and focus," Barbossa said, grabbing a small bowl and dipping it into the bucket. He set the small bowl of water in front of Lydia, who sat down in a chair directly in front of the bowl. She still wasn't entirely sure how this was going to work out.

"What am I supposed to focus on?" Lydia asked.

"As cliché as it sounds, you need to almost become the water," Barbossa said. "The Nereids are said to be born of the sea. You have to reach in and get in touch with the part of yourself that is the ocean. You have to imagine that the water is an extension of yourself. A finger, a toe, it doesn't matter. Find that link and feel the seawater without touching it." Lydia stared down at the water, reaching to the depths of her very being to try and find the link Barbossa was talking about. "When you feel the connection, try to make the water ripple." Lydia closed her eyes, took a breath, and tried to pull at the faint pulsation of energy that she felt in her chest. She focused on moving that energy through down her arms and through her hands to the water sitting in front of her.

When she opened her eyes, she had the sudden feeling that she was the water and that the water was her. She raised her hand ever so slightly, and the water in the bowl began to ripple. Lydia widened her eyes at the rippling seawater. She could actually feel the ripples through her arm. She lightly swayed her hand from side to side, turning the tiny ripples into the tiny waves. "Oh my God…" Lydia murmured.

"It seems you're a natural, Miss Swann," Barbossa said with a smirk.

"Apparently," Lydia said, smiling slightly. "I wonder…" she raised her hand up and tried to see if her theory was correct. Sure enough, a small orb of water rose from the bowl. It wasn't big; probably no larger than an eyeball. But it had risen out of the bowl of water at the will of Lydia. Her smile grew and got slightly cockier. Barbossa raised his brow, seemingly impressed with that. Lydia smirked as an almost devious idea popped into her head. Figuring she might as well take the time to enact a small amount of revenge against the pirate, she flicked her hand towards Barbossa, sending the little ball of water right at his face.

Jack the Monkey screeched and jumped off Barbossa's shoulder, darting over to the bed. Barbossa merely sighed and shook his head. "You know I can't feel that, right?"

"I know," Lydia replied. "It made me feel plenty better, though." Barbossa shook his head and took the bowl of water into his hand. With a smirk, he tossed the water straight at Lydia. She let out a squeal as the lukewarm water, covered her face. Surprising, though, the salt of the seawater didn't sting her eyes.

"Aye. And that be my revenge for that," he said with a smirk.

"That renders my act of revenge rather pointless, though," Lydia said. "The scale's not even anymore."

"And what do you plan on doing to balance that, hmm?" Barbossa asked. Lydia could tell that he was teasing her. His implications were threatening at all, which she normally would have considered strange. Lydia thought about how to balance the scale of wrongdoings. Her eyes darted over to the bucket and she smirked. Barbossa's smirk fell as he realized what she was thinking. "I know I won't feel it, but don't even think about-" It was too late though. Lydia had taken the bucket of bilge water and threw the contents at Barbossa. The pirate merely stood there, drenched in bilge water. He spat some of it out of his mouth as he shook his head. "I will never understand you, Swann. One minute you're scared to be in the same room as me and the next you throw buckets of bilge water at me."

"And you honestly believe I understand any of this too?" Lydia asked. Barbossa shook his head and took off his hat, brushing some of the droplets of water off of it.

"Women…" he muttered under his breath. "I think you've had enough fun with water today."

"Which is your way of saying you don't want me to splash you again," Lydia said. Barbossa rolled his eyes as he put his hat back on. Jack the Monkey screeched and jumped onto Barbossa's shoulder. The pirate began to head towards the deck, but turned around before he left the room.

"By the way," he said. "I'm allowing you to walk on deck. But the crew is under strict orders to not let you below." Lydia frowned and stormed up to Barbossa.

"Why?" Lydia asked. "Why won't you let me below deck now? Is it because of my sisters?"

"Of course," he replied with a smirk.

"It's not like I can help them escape anywhere," Lydia snapped. "We're in the middle of the bloody ocean."

"You can't escape now," Barbossa said. "But I won't have you conspiring with them for an escape later. I don't care if those two escape me. I promised to release them. I care if you escape."

"Because I'm a Nereid," Lydia growled. "And you still don't trust me."

"I'd be a fool to trust you," Barbossa growled back. He turned on his heel and walked onto the deck, most likely to attend to some duty or another. Lydia tensed her jaw and sat on the bed, glaring into seemingly nothing. How was it she hated him so yet didn't want to kill him? Perhaps Lydia would never know.

* * *

Kitty sat in her and her father's quarters with her violin, playing through Handel's Sonata No. 3 in F Major. She cleared her mind as the music flowed through her fingertips and out of the violin. There was nothing but her and her instrument at that moment. There was no chase for pirates in the Caribbean, there was no fear for her sisters' fates, there was no worry for her father who spent every night pacing, and there was most certainly no thoughts of the kiss that transpired between her and the Commodore two days ago.

Every time she spotted him during the past two days, she made up some excuse to leave and avoid him. At mealtimes she would decide that she didn't feel hungry and would eat later. When she saw him on the deck, she went below because she needed to practice. If her father was nearby, she went to him instead to talk and avoid conversation with Commodore Norrington.

Kitty could tell that the Commodore wished to speak with her in private. The mix of annoyance and pain in his eyes whenever she avoided him said that clearly enough. Yet no one else seemed to notice anything unusual. And if they had, they clearly kept it to themselves. No… none of that existed to Kitty right now. All that existed was Handel's Sonata No. 3 in F Major. Or at least, Kitty tried to ignore everything but the violin music.

Her world of ignorance to all but her violin was interrupted by a knocking on the door. "Katherine? Katherine, I know you're in there. We need to talk." Kitty rolled her eyes and frowned as she heard the voice of the one man she didn't want to see or hear. How was it she was still so in love with this man, yet at the moment she couldn't stand the sight of him? Emotions were so confusing… She kept playing her violin, pretending as if she didn't hear him. "Katherine, I know you're ignoring me. I know you can hear me." Kitty groaned and set down the violin.

"It never occurred to you that there was a reason for my avoiding you?" Kitty asked, her voice colder than she was used to. The door opened and Commodore Norrington entered, his face sullen.

"Katherine," he said. "I know you don't wish to talk about what transpired between us, but the fact of the matter is that we do need to talk about it."

"Then talk," Kitty said, picking up her instrument. She felt Norrington touch her arm and guide the bow down.

"It's not enough for me to talk," Norrington said. "You need to be willing to listen." Kitty tensed her jaw and looked away, not wishing to meet his gaze. "Katherine, the truth is that I have no idea why I kissed you."

"If you don't know why you did it, then perhaps we should forget about it and move on," Kitty said, still refusing to meet his gaze.

"It's clearly bothering you, though." Kitty rolled her eyes and glared at Norrington.

"Yes, it's bothering me," she snapped. "The man who _proposed_ to my sister kissed me. How do you think I'm supposed to react!?"

"I don't know, Katherine," Norrington snapped back. "I don't have all the answers. I'm not even certain of what I want anymore. All I know is that I felt something when I kissed you that I never felt whenever I kissed Elizabeth." Kitty froze and looked up at Norrington. She quickly looked down and turned away, clutching the bow of her violin. "Something tells me you felt something as well."

"What's telling you that?" Kitty asked.

"Your mannerisms, the fact that you've been avoiding me so ardently…" Norrington said. He pulled up a chair and sat down next to Kitty. "The fact that you initially returned the kiss." Kitty let out a ghost of a laugh and shook her head.

"You may be a smart man, James. But you can be such a fool," Kitty said. She turned to him, holding back the tears that threatened to flow from her eyes. "Yes, I returned the kissed. Do you even know why? It's because I have been in love with you for _years_ James. _Years._ I watch you pursue my sister and I said nothing because I wished only for you happiness. Do you know what it's like to see the person you care for pining to obviously for another?" She tensed her jaw and looked down, not wishing to see his expression. "And then not even two weeks after proposing to my sister you show me the affection I so craved from you. Yet I can't feel happy about it. I just can't. All I can feel is disgust with myself for kissing a man who has promised himself to my sister and sheer confusion as to what exactly I'm supposed to be feeling right now. So forgive me if I've been avoiding you, James. Forgive me if I didn't want to talk about this and face everything that has been spiraling at me!"

"Katherine… I had no idea…" he murmured.

"No, you clearly didn't," Kitty snapped. "Just leave me alone and live your life out with Elizabeth. If you can't leave behind anything you started to feel for me, then perhaps we no longer speak to each other."

"I don't want that and neither do you," Norrington snapped. "I would also like to point out that Elizabeth has neither accepted nor declined."

"That hardly makes a difference," Kitty snorted. "She'll accept out of duty if nothing else." Norrington frowned and placed a hand on Kitty's shoulder.

"She doesn't love me, does she?" he asked. Kitty froze and sighed. She let her anger subside and she shook her head.

"No," Kitty said. "She doesn't." Norrington sighed and nodded.

"Then we are both fools," he said. "I'm a fool for thinking she cared for me and she's a fool for continuing to court me when her heart clearly belongs to another." Kitty nodded and sighed. "I'm also a fool for not seeing what was clearly in front of me all along… and knowing Elizabeth has no feelings for me removes any guilt for what I'm about to do." Kitty looked up and was about to speak, but found herself cut off by a sudden kiss from Norrington.

Kitty widened her eyes in shock as Norrington kissed her. One had had rested itself on her waist while the other moved to her cheek, lightly stroking her jawline. Kitty pulled away and shook her head. "James, this is foolish. If we're caught-"

"I don't care," he said. "Is it strange that I don't care?"

"Well, since you're usually so by-the-book, it probably would be," Kitty replied. "Why now?"

"I don't know," he said, stroking her cheek. "All I know is that you have grown more and more irresistible by the day since this journey began." He leaned closer to her and rested his forehead against hers. Kitty could feel their breathing. "I will break my courtship with Elizabeth once all of this is over. Then we will both be free to pursue the ones our hearts desire."

"James…" Kitty breathed out.

"My eyes have been opened," he murmured. "I can now clearly see what has always been in front of me. I realize now that my affections have always been for you, Kitty." He let out a faint laugh and shook his head. "I still can't stand that nickname. Katherine flows off the tongue so much better."

"There was a reason I only ever let you call me that," Kitty said with a faint smile. Norrington returned the smile for a brief moment before leaning in and kissing her once more. This time, Kitty actually responded. And it was one of the best kisses she had ever experienced in her entire existence. In that moment, nothing existed outside of this room besides her and Norrington. Her thoughts were entirely filled with James Norrington. Well, _mostly_ filled. A small part of her mind was consumed with praying that no one walked in on them. She pulled away and sat up. "We need to be careful, James."

"I realize that," Norrington said. "I will speak of this to no one; not even your father."

"No one is to know our intentions until after Elizabeth and Lydia are rescued," Kitty agreed. Norrington nodded and stood up. "You should return to your duties. The crew is probably wondering where you went."

"And you should return to your practice," Norrington replied. "The crew is probably wondering why you stopped." Kitty let out a faint smile and stood up. She mustered up what little courage she had inside her and gave Norrington a gentle peck on the lips. "Until we find your sisters."

"Until we find them," Kitty echoed. Norrington turned around and left the room, shutting the door gently behind him. With a smile on her face, Kitty sat down once more and picked up her violin, resuming Handel's Sonata No. 3 in F Major.


	17. Curse of the Black Pearl: Chapter 16

Alice sat in the cell, making ripples in the bilge water with her hand in a sorry attempt to entertain herself. Being a prisoner was so boring. If she didn't have something to do soon she was going to go absolutely insane and just snap. "Restless, luv?" Alice looked up and saw Jack looking down at her. Well, she could barely see him. The only light down there was the light of dawn.

"You have no idea," she muttered. "I hate being helpless. I hate not being able to do anything to help anyone. Lyddie's up there with Barbossa more than likely being exploited in some form, Will just sent himself to death, and I honestly don't trust Barbossa to actually free Elizabeth and I."

"We know one thing," Jack said. "However he chooses to free you, he won't harm you. He's not going to risk getting on your sister's bad side." Alice sighed and shrugged.

"True..." Alice muttered.

"Plus, from what I saw, she can walk freely about," Jack added. He paused and grimaced. "Well, for the most part."

"Which probably explains why she hasn't come down here," Alice said, slumping against the side of the cell. She shook her head and ran a hand through her hair. "I hate this. I hate this more than I hate Norrington..." Jack laughed and sat against his side of the cell. "I'm not delusional, I knew this was a possibility, but..."

"But now that it's actually happening, you're more afraid than you thought," Jack finished for her. Alice bit her lower lip and nodded.

"God," she muttered. "I'm such a naive child."

"You're less naive than Turner," Jack said. "I don't see you as completely naive, though. The only reason you happen to be slightly naive is because you haven't seen the world like I have. You've been confined to a single island for your entire life."

"And now I doubt I'll ever see the world as you have," Alice said. She looked over at Jack and shook her head. "I'm so scared, Jack. I have never been this terrified in my life. I don't want to die. Not yet. I'm not ready to die..." Alice suddenly felt a hand over her own. She looked down and saw Jack squeeze the top of her hand.

"I've gotten out of worse than this," Jack said. "Remember? Marooned? Escaped on sea turtles tied together with back hair?" Alice let out a faint smile and let a ghost of a laugh escape. She felt something wet roll down her cheek. With her other hand, she wiped away the tear. "You're going to live through this, Alice. It'll take a hell of a lot more than an undead pirate crew to take you down."

"How do you know?" Alice asked.

"Because I don't think I have ever met a stronger, stranger soul," Jack said with a smile. "And that's saying something because I have met a lot of strange characters in my time." Alice nodded and took a deep breath, trying to calm her mind. "A pirate's life isn't all fun and games. The green ones learn that quickly."

"But I knew that from the beginning," Alice said. "Regardless of that, I'm still shaking in my boots, wondering what in the seven hells in going to happen to us."

"Which is why you're already smarter than the green lads that ships pick up in Tortuga," Jack said. The light of the sun now entered the room. It was now morning. Possibly the last morning Alice might ever see. The rest of the crew began to wake up one by one, unsure of their own fates. Alice and Elizabeth would go free while the rest of them "weren't to be harmed," whatever that meant to Barbossa. The upper hatch opened and some members of the undead crew came down. They took out a set of keys and opened up her cell.

"It's time for you little girls to go free," the skinny pirate with one eye said with a smile and a laugh. Alice sighed and stood up, walking out of the cell without showing any of the fear she was feeling at the moment. Elizabeth followed, Alice, not hiding her fear well at all. The opened up Jack's cell as well and pulled him out, quickly slamming the cell door shut to leave the rest of the crew locked up. They were practically dragged up the stairs and onto the deck, where the entire crew of the Black Pearl waited. By Barbossa was Will, who looked relieved to see Elizabeth. Alice doubted if he actually cared if she was alright.

When she looked over to where the crew was crowded, she saw that there was a plank laying over the side of the ship. Over in the distance there was a small island, more than likely deserted. Alice widened her eyes at the realization of their fate.

They were being marooned.

The pirates grabbed Elizabeth by the arms and shoved her through the crowd. She was pushed onto the plank. When she stood up, the pirates drew their swords, keeping her from getting off the small wooden plank. Will was immediately enraged and started to throw himself at Barbossa. "Barbossa, you lying bastard! You said they'd go free!" He was held back by two pirates, who immediately shoved a rag into his mouth.

"Don't dare impugn me honor, boy. I agreed she'd go free, but it was you who failed to specify when or where," Barbossa said with a smirk. The doors to the captain's cabin suddenly opened and Lydia strode out, anger clearly written on her face.

"What is going on here?" Lydia asked, her voice a low growl. Her eyes widened when she saw Elizabeth on the plank. "Lizzie!" She tried to run towards her sister. She was restrained by two pirates almost immediately and began to fight back. "Barbossa, you bastard! We had a deal! I would cooperate with you so long as my sisters were unharmed!"

"And unharmed they shall remain," Barbossa said with a crooked grin. "I'm not harming them by marooning them." Lydia fought back against the pirates again and let out a frustrated scream. Barbossa laughed and turned around, "Though it does seem a shame to lose something do fine, don't it lads?" The crew shouted in agreement. "So I'll be having that dress back." Elizabeth glared at Barbossa and undid the front of the dress, leaving her only in her shift.

"You sick son of-" Lydia shouted.

"I hope you aren't going to finish that, Miss Swann," Barbossa said to Lydia with a smirk. "Such language is unbecoming." Elizabeth finished taking off the dress and threw it at Barbossa.

"It goes with your black heart," she snarled. Alice smirked and laughed loudly. She didn't care about angering the pirates anymore. She was being marooned anyway. What else could they do? Barbossa laughed and held the dress up to his face.

"Ooh, it's still warm," he commented just before tossing it to another crew member.

"You can't feel anything, how do you even know?" Alice asked. She immediately felt the annoyed eyes of Jack, Lydia, and Elizabeth on her. "Right. Priorities. Got it." Elizabeth turned around and began to walk out of the edge of the plank, standing there, clearly afraid to jump.

"Off you go! Come on!" a pirate shouted. The pirates urged her to jump until the Bo'sun got tired of waiting.

"Too long!" he shouted. He stood up and stomped on the plank. The plank shook, knocking Elizabeth into the water. "The other girl next!" Alice was grabbed by the arms and shoved towards the plank. She felt more terrified now than she ever had in her life, but knew better than to show it. Alice stood up and stared defiantly down at Barbossa. She turned her head and looked over at Lydia, who was struggling against the pirates restraining her.

"Lyddie," Alice said. "Do me a favor and kick his ass when the curse is lifted. Preferably with your Nereid powers." Lydia tensed her jaw and nodded before sending a glare at Barbossa. "Jack, don't be long." Alice turned around and decided to just get the walk over with. She knew how to swim. She could get herself and Elizabeth to that island easily. She sprinted down the plank and jumped into the water. For moment she felt numb, but then she quickly came to her senses and swam for the surface. She found Elizabeth swimming very poorly in the direction of the island. Alice swam towards her with her clearly superior form and caught up to her sister. A few minutes later she heard a splash and knew that Jack had just jumped into the water. Alice knew they couldn't stop swimming. They had to get to that island if they had any hope of surviving. When they reached the shore, Alice collapsed onto the beach, exhausted from swimming. "We made it, Lizzie," she breathed out. Elizabeth lied down next to her sister and nodded.

Alice breathed heavily and groaned as the gravity of their situation finally hit her. She was marooned on a deserted island with her sister and a notorious pirate by another notorious pirate who happened to be both undead and her eldest sister's captor, who happened to be a Nereid.

She hated the god damn Caribbean right now.

* * *

After Alice jumped off the plank, Lydia let out a scream and tried to get to Barbossa. "You bastard!" she shouted. "I will _end_ you for this!"

"And what exactly are you going to do, hmm?" Barbossa asked. "Last I check, you can barely control water the size of a marble and you can't possess a creature of the sea without sending it to its death." Lydia tensed her jaw and immediately felt the nausea that came with the guilt of letting that dolphin die. At the moment, Barbossa sickened her. The Caribbean sickened her. Will sickened her, Jack sickened her, and Lydia sickened herself. So much disgust and anger was building inside her and she had no idea how to release it. She settled for spitting at Barbossa's face. The unfazed Captain merely wiped it off with his sleeve and took a few steps towards Lydia. "That make you feel better, girl?"

"Yes, actually," Lydia snarled. For many moments, Barbossa and Lydia were locked in an intense glaring match. She knew Barbossa was waiting to see if she would break as she had done in the past. But now that he had all but sentenced her sisters to die on a deserted island, she didn't have anything else to lose. She knew she wouldn't be killed and she frankly didn't care if Barbossa hated her. She would make his life even more of a living hell for this. And once she had more power and he could die, she would watch him drown and she wouldn't bat an eye. No one would ever miss such a cruel man; no one.

"Lock our dear little Nereid in my cabin," Barbossa growled. "I'll deal with her later." The two pirates restraining Lydia dragged her backwards. She ripped her arm out of their grasp and glared at Barbossa.

"I'm capable of walking," she spat. She turned on her heel and stormed into the cabin. If she was going to get locked up for the umpteenth time during her stay on the Black Pearl, she refused to look pathetic about it. It was definitely a bad thing that she was getting used to being confined in that room. When she entered the room, the pirates slammed the door shut and locked it, leaving her with no way out. She sat down on the bed, picked up a pillow, and screamed into it as loud as she could. If she had to spend another day dealing with Barbossa and his machinations, she was going to do absolutely insane.

When she looked up from the pillow, she saw the bucket of bilge water Barbossa had left there the previous night. This was, of course, not the same bucket of water that she threw at him. This bucket was full of seawater... seawater that was now rising out of the bucket in a spiraling fashion. Lydia dropped her jaw walked towards the bucket. She moved her hand to the left to see if it was actually her doing this. The water moved, confirming her suspicions. Lydia smirked, knowing she had a little bit of a way to fight back against Barbossa when he inevitably entered his cabin to check on her.


	18. Curse of the Black Pearl: Chapter 17

Lydia paced around the cabin, trying to figure out what she was going to do now. She most certainly wouldn't cooperate with Barbossa now... not after marooning her sisters and leaving them for dead. She kept an eye on the spiraling water, careful to keep it from exploding from a lack of control. She was most certainly keeping this water to use if it came to a fight against Barbossa. Would she win? Most definitely not. But it would show Barbossa that she was ready to fight him for the rest of her days, however long that would end up being. She would never forgive the man for this. No... Barbossa wasn't a man. He was a monster.

When Lydia heard the door click, she spun around and leaned against the table. She willed the water to retreat into the bucket, waiting for her commands. The door opened and Barbossa stormed into the room, glaring at Lydia. "You dared to spit on me in front of my crew!?" the pirate captain yelled.

"You dared to maroon my sisters and leave them for dead!" Lydia shouted back. "I don't care about what happens to me anymore." Suddenly Barbossa stormed up to her and gripped her around the neck. For a second, Lydia panicked, unable to breathe as Barbossa choked her.

"I could kill you right now without a second thought," Barbossa growled in a dangerously low voice. Suddenly, he released her throat and smirked. "But I won't. You _will_ listen to me, Nereid. You _will_ cooperate with and obey my orders."

"Or what?" Lydia challenged. "You have no incentive for me! The only thing that made me want to cooperate was the promise that my sisters would be safe and unharmed. Mark technicality if you wish, Barbossa, but you know perfectly well what I meant when we made our deal."

"You forget that I didn't lay a hand on them," Barbossa said.

"No, but you might as well have sentenced them to die!" Lydia shouted. "You are a manipulative, heartless bastard and I swear to God I will kill you once your curse is lifted." Barbossa laughed and smirked. He moved closer to Lydia, effectively pinning her against the table. She could practically feel his breath on her face.

"Will you now?" Barbossa asked.

"Yes," Lydia snarled. "I will never stop fighting you as long as I breathe." Barbossa was silent for a moment, merely staring down at Lydia. She tensed her jaw and looked up at him, resolute and unwilling to show the fear that threatened to spill over. She very well could have sentenced herself to death as well.

"You wouldn't have the guts," Barbossa hissed. "Not to mention you aren't thinking rationally right now. You won't be so vengeful towards me once you've calmed down. Think about how many times I could have killed you and didn't."

"The only reason you haven't killed me is because I'm a Nereid," Lydia snapped. Barbossa narrowed his eyes and looked up. His gaze was locked behind Lydia and she immediately knew what she was seeing. She'd lost control of the water.

"Interesting," Barbossa murmured. He looked down at her and smirked. "It seems your power is growing. Even so, I know you won't kill me."

"How are you certain?" Lydia inquired.

"I'm certain," Barbossa replied. "You're not like me. You could never kill without feeling remorse. You could never live with yourself, knowing you played God and took away a life. You're already tearing yourself apart over a dolphin, and that wasn't even intentional." Lydia looked away with a tensed jaw. As much as she wished she could just kill him without regret, she couldn't. Barbossa may not have had morals, but Lydia most certainly did. "You're not allowed on deck until you calm yourself."

"You're an absolute monster," Lydia hissed. She looked up at him, her eyes dark and cold. Barbossa stared into her eyes and let out a ghost of a smirk.

"You honestly think I don't know that, Swann?" Barbossa growled in response. He turned on his heel and left the room, locking the door behind him. Lydia sat down on the edge of the table, looking at her column of water out of the corner of her eye. She extended her arm and watched as some of the tendrils wrapped around her wrist. It almost seemed to be dancing around her arm. She took deep breaths and tried to calm her mind. After all, she couldn't think of a good escape plan when her mind was clouded with anger.

* * *

Alice laid on the shore of the island, exhausted from all the swimming she just did. She watched as Jack swam to the shore of the island, his effects in hand. When he came onto the shore, he rested briefly on his hands and knees while breathing heavily. "Wait, did he only give us one pistol? I thought we each got a pistol."

"Barbossa attributed it to one gun for one marooning," Jack said. He stood up and looked out into the sea, sighing. "That's the second time I've had to watch that man sail away on my ship."

"How do you think I feel knowing Lydia's still on there?" Alice asked.

"You shouldn't feel as bad considering she spit in Barbossa's face before I jumped," Jack said with a smirk. He turned and walked into the grassier part of the island. Elizabeth stood up and stormed after Jack. Alice decided she had no choice but to follow, knowing Elizabeth might just do something really stupid.

"But you were marooned on this island before, weren't you? So we can escape in the same way you did then," Elizabeth said.

"Alright," Alice said. "Who wants to befriend the sea turtles and who wants to pluck Jack's back hair?" Jack let out a laugh, but kept walking.

"To what point and purpose, young missy?" Jack asked. "The Black Pearl is gone and unless you have a rudder and a lot of sails hidden in that bodice – unlikely - young Mr. Turner will be dead long before you can reach him." Jack walked up to a palm tree and knocked on in. Alice narrowed her eyes and observed his movements. He took three large paces from that tree as Elizabeth ranted at him.

"But you're Captain Jack Sparrow!" Elizabeth shouted. "You vanished from under the eyes of seven agents of the East India Company. You sacked Nassau Port without even firing a shot. Are you the pirate I've read about or not? How did you escape last time?" Jack was now jumping up and down on a spot of sand that seemed to bend under his bare feet. Jack sighed and motioned for Alice to come over. Alice arched an eyebrow and approached Jack.

"Last time, I was here for a grand total of three days, all right?" Jack admitted. He bent down and opened up the door to a secret cellar. "Last time, the rumrunners used this island as a cache. Came by, and I was able to barter a passage off. From the looks of things, they've long been out of business." He crawled down into the cache and dug around the cellar. "Probably have your bloody friend Norrington to thank for that."

"So that's it then? That's the secret grand adventure of the infamous Jack Sparrow? You spent three days lying on a beach, drinking rum?!" Elizabeth exclaimed. Alice put a hand on her sister's shoulder and shrugged.

"It's more realistic than the sea turtle story," Alice said. Jack's arm popped out of the cellar holding a bottle of rum. Alice bent down and took it, popping the cork off the top. She turned around and looked at Elizabeth, raising the bottle and taking a swig. Jack emerged from the cellar with two more bottles and handed one to Elizabeth.

"Welcome to the Caribbean, love," Jack said. "Now be a dear and try and find some firewood. I'll go help Alice find some."

"And Alice needs your help because…?" Elizabeth asked.

"Look at the girl," Jack said motioning to Alice. "She's tiny." Alice furrowed her brow and opened her mouth to talk back to Jack. He grabbed her arm before she could say anything and dragged her off in the opposite direction as Elizabeth.

"I'm not that tiny, you arse!" Alice snapped. Jack rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Yes, you are and you know it," Jack said. He drank some of the rum and bent down to pick up firewood. "How are you holding up?"

"Considering we pretty much have no chance of getting off this island? Well… let's just say that I might need more than one bottle of rum," Alice said. She sighed and shook her head. "I honestly thought I'd live longer than sixteen years."

"Yes, but think about how boring your life would've been if you hadn't sprung me from jail and commandeered a naval vessel," Jack said as he picked up a few more armfuls of wood. "What matters more? Living a long, boring life or living a short, exciting life?"

"I'd pick the short, exciting life every time," Alice said with a smile as she picked up some fallen palm leaves. They needed tinder for the fire, after all.

"We're going to get off this island, Al," Jack said, referring to the first name he ever knew Alice by. "After all, I still need to put this bullet through Barbossa's head." Alice let out a laugh and stood up, her arms filled with palm leaves. "Let's find a good spot on the shore to build the fire. Don't want to burn down the shade, after all."

"True," Alice said. "Plus, there's always the off-chance a ship will come by and see the fire. I mean, it's not likely, but it's possible." Jack smiled and motioned with his head for Alice to follow him. Alice smiled faintly, feeling like she actually had some sense of hope for the first time since being marooned on this island. She still didn't understand how it was that Jack was always able to calm her down and make her see the brighter side. She paused for a second when she was suddenly hit with the realization.

Alice had feelings for Jack Sparrow.

She knew it was far too soon to know it was love (she didn't believe in that bull about love at first sight), but she was certain that she felt something for Jack that went beyond friendship. "Alice, you okay?" she heard Jack ask. She looked up and smiled, nodding her head.

"Yeah," Alice said. "I'm alright. Just had a thought was all." She jogged up to where Jack was and walked by his side towards the beach to build that fire.

* * *

Barbossa stood at the helm of the Black Pearl, staring off into the sunset. It was only a matter of time before the moon appeared and everyone on the crew turned into their skeletal forms. The shock of it had worn off a long time ago; everyone on the ship felt it was second nature to see decaying flesh and bone now. The deck felt strangely empty to him, even though everyone in his crew was in sight. He knew immediately whose presence was missing.

Lydia.

In the past few weeks he'd grown used to her being on the deck, staring into the sea and muttering poetry under her breath. Even their banter was entertaining to the undead pirate captain and he found himself missing it. With one action, their interactions had reverted to how they were before it was discovered she was a Nereid. The last time he looked into her eyes he saw nothing but hate. Strangely, he felt a twinge of sorrow when he thought about the coldness in her grey eyes.

Barbossa furrowed his brow. Was he actually feeling remorse for hurting someone? No… he couldn't be. He was as heartless as they came. He couldn't possibly be feeling regret for marooning that idiot Elizabeth and that girl Alice with Sparrow. Yet for some reason when he thought about Lydia's cold, hate-filled grey gaze he felt guilt. He looked down and tensed his jaw. Why in the seven hells was he actually feeling guilty about the hurt feelings of one woman? He'd murdered, he'd raided, and he'd stolen more times than he could count and he'd never once felt guilt. Yet all he had to do now to feel that was think of the cold grey eyes of a single Nereid…

The sun had now set and the sky was dark. The moon was slowly beginning to rise in the sky and cast its light over the crew. Their dirty, tan flesh grew pale and started to decay, revealing dirty, yellowed bone under tattered garments. The crew wasn't fazed by the transformation and continued to do their duties as usual. Jack the Monkey let out a shrill screech as he perched himself on Barbossa's shoulder. He scratched the monkey under its jaw as he steered the ship toward the Isla de Muerta. In two days' time, he would finally be free.


	19. Curse of the Black Pearl: Chapter 18

" _We're devils and black sheep and really bad eggs. Drink up me 'earties yo ho! Yo ho, yo ho a pirate's life for me!_ " Alice let a loud flurry of giggles and she fell backwards into the soft, Caribbean sand. She was gripping her now-empty bottle of rum. She felt the warmth of the bonfire on her face and the cool night breezes on her bare feet.

"I love this song!" Jack shouted. "Really _bad_ eggs!" He out a grunt as he fell down onto the sand next to Alice. She turned onto her side and looked at the very inebriated Jack. Granted, Alice was just as drunk as him… if not more so. "When I get the _Pearl_ back, I'm gonna teach it to the whole crew, and we'll sing it all the time!"

"That sounds fantastic!" Alice slurred. Jack smirked and moved closer to Alice, his arm wrapping around her waist. She let out a squeal as she got pulled closer to the pirate.

"You'll be positively the most fearsome pirate in the Spanish Main," Elizabeth said as she sat down next to him. Alice was too oblivious to notice the look of disgust that was filling her sister's eyes as Alice and Jack curled up next to each other.

"Not just the Spanish Main, love," Jack said. "The entire ocean. The entire _world_. Wherever we want to go, we'll go. That's what a ship is, you know. It's not just a keel and a hull and a deck and sails that's what a ship needs but what a ship is…what the _Black Pearl_ really is…is freedom." Alice was hanging onto his every word. She could feel the passion in his voice as he spoke about freedom. It was exactly what Alice had wanted for her entire life… freedom. She wanted freedom from the restrictive rules of high society. She wanted freedom from a future of misery after she was wedded to a wealthy man she could never care for. She wanted freedom from a world of superficial and material desires. She wanted freedom from having to obey whatever man was in her life, whether it be her father or a husband.

"That sounds like my kind of life," Alice said.

"Jack, let get go get some more rum for us," Elizabeth said. She plucked the empty bottles from Alice and Jack's hands and walked off into the palm trees. Alice looked up at Jack and smiled.

"Can I join you?" Alice asked. "When all this is over? Can I join the crew of the _Black Pearl?_ "

"Don't want to go back to your cushy life? A life where you wanted for nothing?" Jack asked. Alice shook her head and smiled a bigger smile.

"Not at all," Alice said. "You said it yourself… the _Pearl_ is freedom. And freedom is what I want more than anything in the world." Jack smiled back at her. His eyes flickered downwards for a moment. Alice's eyes quickly darted to his lips. It was as if the two of them both wanted the exact same thing; they were in perfect sync as they moved closer to one another.

Jack was the one who brought his lips to Alice's first. She let out a faint whimper as Jack pulled her closer to him; as if they weren't already close enough. She wrapped her arms around his neck as his hand brushed along her side, hovering close to her breasts but never close enough to touch them. It was as if he was hesitant to do so. He barely pulled away and began to lightly kiss her neck. Alice felt her eyes almost roll into the back of her head. No man had ever made her feel this good this quickly.

Alice sighed and shook her head. No… she shouldn't be doing this with Jack while they were this drunk. She had no idea whether or not he'd come to regret what they were doing. She didn't know whether he felt the same way towards her that she felt. "Jack," she murmured. He paused briefly and looked up at Alice. "Jack, we're drunk."

"I suppose you're right," he replied. He turned onto his back and looked over into the fire. A few moments later, Elizabeth came back out of the palm trees with two bottles of rum in hand.

"Only two?" Alice asked.

"Last two left," Elizabeth said. She handed one bottle to Jack and kept the other for herself. Alice pouted almost childishly when she wasn't given any of the room. All Elizabeth had to say in response was, "You're already about to pass out. I'm not going to let you drink yourself to death." Alice just rolled her eyes and let out a huff. Elizabeth sat down on the other side of Jack and began to curl up next to him. Alice tensed her jaw and crossed her arms when Jack wrapped his other arm around Elizabeth's shoulder. "It must be terrible for you to be trapped on this island."

"Oh yes," Jack said. "But the company is infinitely better than last time, I think." Alice could have sworn that he winked at her when he said this. Wait… since when did Jack have two heads? And why was he so blurry? "And the scenery has definitely improved…"

"Mr. Sparrow, I'm not entirely sure I've had enough rum to allow that kind of talk," Elizabeth said.

"But apparently I have…" Alice grumbled.

"I know exactly what you mean, love," Jack said. He held up his bottle of rum with Elizabeth.

"To freedom," she said.

"To the Black Pearl," Jack said. The two began to drink their bottles of rum. Alice watched as Jack continued to down the entire bottle of rum. He slowly went limp and then collapsed against the sand, the bottle rolling out of his limp hand. It wasn't long after when Alice's vision finally went dark and she plunged into the abyss of unconsciousness.

* * *

_A skeletal figure loomed in the sea… the snake like skeleton slithered towards her, its horrifying, toothy mouth poised to bite. "This was your doing," it growled. "This is what I have become. It was you who murdered me." She knew it was that dolphin. Murder. Murder. Murder. The word kept echoing around in her head, just like the echoes of the dolphin pod that was caught in the crossfire between the Pearl and the Interceptor._

_"Lydia…" a voice in the distance hissed. "Lydia…. Lydia! Swann! Wake up!"_

Lydia woke up with a gasp. She felt a cool sweat on her brow. She looked down at her stark white hands that were shakily gripping the sheets of her bed. A tanned, calloused hand rested on top of hers and looked up to meet the blue eyes of Hector Barbossa. "It was just a dream, Swann," he said.

"It… that…" Lydia stammered. She found it hard for her to catch her breath. She closed her eyes and tried to calm herself as much as she possibly could. Slow breaths… in and out…. in and out… She opened her eyes and she felt some of her quivering subside. "I know what you're going to say, that damned dolph-" She paused when she found herself intensely locked into Barbossa's very blue eyes. She felt strangely at peace, even though every part of her knew that she shouldn't. This man had done unspeakable things to so many people, she included. How was she finding such a sense of calm by looking into the eyes that had seen death numerous times? She felt his other hand touch her cheek with a gentleness that she didn't realize he possessed. Was it her imagination, or was he getting closer? More importantly, why didn't Lydia find herself minding the slowly closing space between them?

The next moment, Barbossa's lips were on hers.

He was kissing her.

He was _actually_ kissing her.

It wasn't a long kiss. Not by a long shot. It was nothing more than a peck. It felt almost experimental on his end; as if he were testing to see if he could actually feel her soft lips on his rough, weathered ones. Lydia opened eyes and let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. She looked down as it slowly dawned on her that she'd just willingly accepted the kiss of this cursed man; this man who had slaughtered men without a second thought and left her sisters marooned on an island to die, the man who had attacked her home for a single cursed coin, the man who fully intended on killing Elizabeth even after finding out her blood was useless to him…

Lydia immediately felt sick to her stomach. She looked back up at Barbossa, her grey eyes burning with hate for this inhuman pirate. "Get out. Now."

"Lydia-"

"I said get out," Lydia snapped. Barbossa stood up and walked out of the cabin, putting up no further argument. It was almost as if he had no idea why he did what he did. The door shut almost softly behind him and surprisingly no click of a lock followed. She lied back in her bed, trying to push the memory of his lips pressed against hers out of her mind… and trying to push away the part of her that enjoyed out as well.

When Lydia woke up in the morning, the first thing that came to mind was that damned kiss.

What had driven that man to do such a thing? She shook her head and stood up, striding swiftly across the room to her familiar bucket of water. She closed her eyes, took a slow, deep breath, and then gently raised her wrist. The watery tendrils swirled up from the bucket and began to slither its way around her arm; floating near, but never touching it. She just sat there, thinking constantly about that damned kiss while trying to keep her emotions in check.

She didn't know how much later it was, but she eventually heard a knock on the door. She furrowed her brow in confusion and turned around. It couldn't have been Barbossa; he never knocked. He always just walked right in. "Enter?" she called out hesitantly. The door slowly opened and the pirate captain entered, shutting the door almost gently behind him. Lydia turned around and focused on the water. No… she couldn't even look at him without her heartbeat fluttering ever-so-slightly. It almost disgusted her. "What?" she asked in an annoyed monotone. "Don't you have anything better to do than bother me?"

"We need to talk," he said. Lydia let out a sigh and shrugged.

"Alright," Lydia said. "Part of me wants you to leave, but another part of me is wondering why you kissed me?"

"I spent most of last night thinking about that," Barbossa admitted. She heard a faint creak and knew he was sitting down on her bed. "To be honest, I wasn't entirely sure why I kissed you. I thought that maybe I was just trying to see if I could feel it. The rational part of me knew it was ridiculous to even try; I've been cursed a long time. I know perfectly well how it works. So then I tried to brush it off as a whim."

"So it was a whim?" Lydia asked.

"Not entirely," Barbossa replied. He took a long, slow breath before speaking again. Was he… was he nervous? "Lydia, I- that is to say that- I possibly- damn this is harder than I thought it'd be. Shouldn't be, but-"

"Just say it," Lydia snapped.

"I think I feel something for you, Lydia," he said spontaneously. "You _make_ me feel." Lydia paused and she felt the water around her arm shudder. "I've been surviving for many years but not living. Then you come along and part of me actually feels _alive_." She was trying to wrap her mind around Barbossa's words. She bit her lip and shook her head. It wasn't possible. It couldn't be possible. She refused to believe what he was a saying because it almost exactly described what part of her was feeling. That ugly part of her that was almost excited to be captured by a pirate, the part of her that wanted to romanticize this hell. "Lydia? Say something, please." Lydia looked back at the water, unsure of what to say. Should she be honest and frank or simply avoid this confrontation and tell him to leave? After a few minutes of thought, she decided that being frank with him would be the best route to go. After all, he would mostly likely know if she were lying. He had that talent for reading people.

"Barbossa-"

"Hector." Lydia arched an eyebrow at this. "My first name is Hector." She looked down and took a long, deep breath.

"I should hate you," Lydia said in little more than a whisper. "You've done so, so many unforgivable things to me and my family. You've kidnapped me and my sister, nearly drowned me, tried to shed Elizabeth's blood to free yourself from you curse, nearly killed her for not being the right person, blew up a ship that one of my friends was possibly still on, marooned my sisters, and now you're going to kill one of my childhood friends for no other reason than spite. I should hate you with every fiber of my being, but I don't… and it almost kills me that I don't hate you. I don't know what I feel, but I do know that I refuse to let my emotions get the better of me. If you care about me in the way you say you do, then you'll leave me be and allow me to think clearly." She didn't hear any sort of motion from him for many moments. "Now," she reiterated firmer.

"You know where to find me," Barbossa said. "Just think on it… please." He got up slowly and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him so silently that Lydia wasn't even sure it was shut for a few moments. When she was sure she was alone, she broke down and started to cry. Not because she was upset at one particular thing. No, Lydia broke down because she was completely overwhelmed at everything that had happened to her. She just needed to let down her guard and let herself feel crushed by her own emotions. Just once while completely alone.


	20. Curse of the Black Pearl: Chapter 19

Jack woke up the next morning, he immediately noticed that his arm was wrapped around something warm and moving. He looked over to the side and saw Alice sleeping next to him. Her arm was draped over his stomach and she was curled close to him. When Jack stirred, she moaned slightly and readjusted herself. He let out a smile and bent down, pressing a kiss against her forehead. He may have forgotten most of last night, but he definitely didn't forget kissing her. It was only sad that he had to be drunk to finally do it. Apparently the opportune moment was then. Alice stirred and opened her eyes. "Holy shite, my head hurts…" she mumbled. Jack laughed and shrugged.

"Hangover," Jack said. Alice moaned and lied back, still on Jack's arm. "So you were rather enthusiastic last night." She rolled her eyes and hit him on the chest, turning away and attempting to hide her blush. It was obvious that she has full recollection of that kiss. Good.

Suddenly, a smell filled the air that Jack didn't like. It smelt like burning. Alice seemed to notice this as well and sat up abruptly, turning around. Jack did the same and immediately saw a large fire. He stood up and watched as Elizabeth tossed a barrel of rum onto the giant burning pile. The barrel exploded, a stream of fire erupting upwards. "Not good!" Jack shouted. He helped Alice to her feet and ran towards Elizabeth. Alice looked just as angry, showing that she clearly had no idea that Elizabeth was planning this. "What are you doing? You burned all the food, the shade! The rum!"

"Yes," Elizabeth said, storming towards the shore. "The rum is gone."

"Why is the rum gone?" Jack demanded. He couldn't believe he let that harpy burn all the rum.

"One, because it is a vile drink that turns even the most respectable men into complete scoundrels," Elizabeth said. "Two, that signal is over a thousand feet high. The entire Royal Navy is out looking for me, do you really think that there is even the slightest chance that they won't see it?"

"But why is the rum gone!?" Alice asked. Elizabeth groaned and sat down.

"Just wait," she said. "You give it one hour, maybe two, keep a weather eye out and then you will see white sails on that horizon." Jack clenched his fist and reached for his pistol. One sharp glare from Alice mad him reconsider whatever he was thinking in his angry, hungover haze. He stormed off, imitating Elizabeth as he walked to the other side of the island.

"Must've been terrible for you to be trapped here, Jack. Must've been terrible for you," he mocked, raising his voice in pitch to sound like a whiny, bratty girl. "Well it bloody is now!" Jack shouted. He heard footsteps behind him and knew it was Alice. Who else could it have been? She was the only woman on the island that he could stand right now.

"My sister…" Alice muttered as she caught up to him. She shook her head and sighed. "I mean, yes, we need to get off the island, but was burning all of our supplies really necessary?" Jack shook his head and leaned against one of the remaining palm trees. Alice stood with her arms crossed. "See, this is why I can't stand my family. I love my sisters, but I want to strangle them almost as often."

"I can't believe the rum's gone…" Jack groaned. "Speaking of which, last night..."

"You made the first move," Alice said, rolling her eyes. "That happen a lot when you get drunk? You just start snogging the nearest woman?"

"Sometimes," Jack said. "But this was different."

"How so?" Alice asked, tilting her head and smiling smugly.

"Do I really need to spell it out for you, love?" Jack asked with a faint chuckle. He took her hands and smiled. "I fancy you. It's just sad I had to be drunk to finally make a move. I suppose that was the opportune moment, then." Alice smiled and blushed. It was rather adorable, in Jack's opinion. She didn't need to say anything to know how Alice felt. She looked up and suddenly frowned, staring at something behind Jack. He turned around and saw a ship with white sails. It was obviously the _HMS Dauntless._ "There'll be no living with her after this," Jack said.

"Damn it, Elizabeth," Alice muttered. "I finally find a man that I actually fancy and you go off and basically get him arrested-" Jack, being the sly devil he was, pulled Alice close to him and firmly kissed her. She let out a faint squeak (again, Jack found it adorable) and rested her hands on his shoulders. She pulled away and tilted her head in confusion. "Why?"

"Because we might not get another chance after I'm arrested by our dear friend Commodore Norrington," Jack said. Alice nodded and shrugged.

"True," she agreed. She then surprised Jack by boldly taking him by the collar and kissing him. Jack almost smiled into the kiss. Such boldness was why he knew he was falling for her. She knew how to take advantage of her own fears and appear as if she feared nothing at all. He knew that she was probably terrified right now. Of him, of her feelings, of seeing her father again… But right now wasn't the time for such thoughts. Right now, only the two of them existed.

Jack quickly took control of the kiss by backing her into a nearby palm tree. A slight gasp escaped Alice's lips, giving Jack the opportunity to slide his tongue into her mouth. For a sixteen year old, she was unnaturally good at snogging. At the same time though, there was so much inexperience that Jack could play around with. His hand stroked her waist, careful not to let things go too far with her. For once in his life, he wanted to take a romantic endeavor slowly.

"Miss Swan!"

The two parted with annoyed groans as the voices of marines rang across the island. It seems that the shore party had finally arrived.

"Coming!" Alice shouted. She sighed and shook her head. "I'm glad we got that in before you get arrested."

"I'm just going to assume you're feeling the same way?" Jack asked as the two walked back to where they last saw Elizabeth.

"Jack, if I didn't want you to kiss me, you'd have a bloody nose by now," Alice said with a giggle. Jack let out a loud laugh and gave Alice a fleeting hug. He noticed a blush rising on her face. He quickly gave her some distance as the marines approached. After all, she was in a lot of trouble for running off with him in the first place. He didn't want her in any more trouble for being romantically involved with him. They were all shuffled into the longboat, though they were keeping a sterner eye on him. Figured… he _was_ the only pirate there, after all.

* * *

Kitty couldn't have been happier when the helmsman shouted that he had spotted a large column of white smoke coming from the west. They told her it was most likely some sort of smoke signal from an island based on the height and girth of it. They sailed as fast as they could towards it and three hours later they came across a small, uninhabited island. They sent out a small group of marines to collect whoever was on the island. At this point, Kitty could only hope that her sisters were on that island.

"I really hope it's them," Kitty muttered to herself as she looked at the longboat disappear around the island. She felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up and saw James Norrington standing there. She almost instantly felt calmer and let out a smile.

"I'm almost sure it's them," Norrington said. "Elizabeth is clever enough to do something like this." His hand sat dangerously close to Kitty's own hand. She knew that neither of them dared to touch the other, lest their secret be revealed. She saw Norrington's jaw tense up as the longboat started to reappear.

"Nervous?" Kitty asked. He nodded faintly. Kitty didn't need to ask what he was nervous about; she knew perfectly well he was somewhat dreading telling Elizabeth that he was retracting his proposal. Yet Kitty knew he had nothing to fear. Just because you knew it was foolish to fear something, though, didn't mean you could stop yourself from fearing it.

As the longboat grew closer and closer to the ship, Kitty could see more figures inside. She saw a man with thick black dreadlocks sitting next to a shorter figure dressed in men's clothing that was more than likely Alice. Elizabeth sat in front of them, wearing nothing but her night gown from the night she was capture. She let out a large, beaming smile when she realized that her sisters were alive and safe.

Her smile falter when she realized that Lydia wasn't on the longboat.

Kitty felt her heartbeat speed up as a flurry of fears rushed into her head. Was Lydia still on the _Black Pearl?_ Was she alive? Was she safe? She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up at Norrington.

"We will find Lydia. Alice and Elizabeth will know where she is and if she's alright," Norrington told her. He removed his hand the moment they heard Governor Swann come onto the deck.

"They've been found?" he asked Norrington.

"They found Elizabeth, Alice, and Sparrow," Kitty said. "But Lydia and Will are still missing." Governor Swann nodded, his eyes filled with a mix of relief and fear. "They can tell us where the _Black Pearl_ is going."

"Let's pray they can," Governor Swann said. "This mission is not over until Lydia is found." Kitty nodded, completely agreeing with her father. None of them would rest until Lydia's fate was known. The longboat had finally reached the _HMS Dauntless_ and the shore party climb aboard, helping Alice and Elizabeth. They forced Sparrow up the ladder rather forcefully. When her sisters finally stepped onto the deck, Kitty ran up to them and hugged them.

"Lizzie! Alice! You're safe!" she squealed. Her two sisters hugged her back with smiles on their face. Kitty took a step and lightly shoved Alice on the shoulder. "You idiot! Why would you think running off with a pirate was a good idea?"

"Because it worked," Alice said. "We found Elizabeth and Lydia before Commodore Useless over here did."

"Only because _you_ delayed us by disabling the rudder chain," Norrington snapped. "You will not go unpunished Miss Swann, regardless of what you believe your actions accomplished. You willingly engaged in piracy with Sparrow and Mr. Turner. The only thing saving you from the gallows right now is your age. We can reduce your actions to the stupidity and naivety of a child."

"Commodore Norrington is right, Alice," Governor Swann said, his face stern. Alice rolled her eyes and glared at the ground. When Sparrow reached the deck. Kitty marched right up to him and struck him across the face, thoroughly shocking everyone on the ship.

"That's for convincing my sister to run off into certain danger with you and Will," Kitty spat. She turned on her heel and walked away from the pirate. Was she sure that most of it was Alice's idea? Yes. But if Sparrow had any sense of rationality he wouldn't have let a sixteen-year-old girl traipse about the Caribbean with dangerous pirates who wouldn't think twice about killing them. She turned to Elizabeth and put her hands on her shoulders. "Where's Lydia? Is she alive?"

"Aside from a gunshot wound on her right shoulder from the attack on Port Royal, she's fine," Elizabeth said.

"She got shot?" Governor Swann asked, his eyes wide and his jaw dropped.

"Barbossa had been tending to her shoulder," Elizabeth said. "They're heading to the Isla de Muerta with her and Will. He marooned Alice, Sparrow, and I when we no longer served any use to him."

"And what use would that be?" Governor asked, quite obviously starting to get angry. "Has he taken advantage of Lydia?"

"Not that I know of," Elizabeth said. Kitty put a comforting hand on her father's shoulder. "Barbossa thinks that Lydia is something called a Nereid. That's why he's keeping her around." She saw Norrington's eyebrow arch briefly. Some murmurs spread amongst the crew.

"Such tales are superstitious nonsense, Miss Swann," Norrington said. "But if this superstition is keeping Lydia alive, then perhaps I should be grateful that these pirates are foolish believers."

"But there were these markings-" Alice started, but Norrington held up a hand.

"Alice, you are not to open your mouth. You've done enough," he snapped. Alice rolled her eyes and again glared at the ground. It was more than clear to Kitty that she was biting her tongue on the matter. Kitty had no idea what a 'Nereid' was and wasn't troubled by the matter. She only cared that it was keeping Lydia alive at the moment. He turned to Jack Sparrow and looked him up and down. "Mr. Sparrow, you will accompany these fine men to the helm and provide us with the bearing to Isla de Muerta. You will then spend the rest of the voyage contemplating all possible meanings of the phrase 'silent as the grave.' Do I make myself clear?"

"Inescapably clear," Sparrow replied. Two marines grabbed Jack by the shoulders and dragged him up to the helm. Norrington turned to Alice with a harsh glare.

"You are to spend the rest of this voyage in the Governor's cabin and you _will_ think on your actions," Norrington growled. "You are the daughter of a Governor. You need to learn how to do what you're told." Alice merely stood there with her arms crossed and her gaze downcast. "If you're going to behave like a child, we're going to treat you as one." He nodded his head to the side and two marines by the name of Mullroy and Murtogg escorted Alice to the Captain's cabin. Well... it had really become Kitty and her father's cabin. Norrington turned to Gillette and said, "Get some spare clothing for Miss Swann."

"Which one?" he asked.

"You know the answer to that, Gillette," Norrington said. "Or must I really spell it out for you?" Gillette rushed off without another word. Governor Swann led Elizabeth into his cabin, presumably to get her dried off and convince her to rest. Kitty looked between the door to the cabin and Norrington. The Commodore gave a single curt nod, as if to tell her to go to her sisters. Kitty nodded back and turned towards the cabin, following her father and sister. She had no idea how far away this 'Isla de Muerta' was, but hopefully it was nearby. She wanted Lydia rescued as fast and humanly possible.


	21. Curse of the Black Pearl: Chapter 20

Alice paced about the cabin, her jaw clenched and her hands curled into fists. "You're not to open your mouth, Alice," she shrilly mocked. "You've done enough, Alice. You're just some stupid girl, Alice." She let out a loud groan and paused, glaring daggers at the door that was undoubtedly being guarded. "It's like they never expect anything but stupidity out of me." She pouted and plopped down on the ground, knowing full well she was more than likely acting as immaturely as they expected from her.

The door opened and Kitty entered, Elizabeth close behind. Elizabeth was wearing an extra naval uniform now instead of the nightdress from weeks ago in Port Royal. "Alice, what were you thinking?" Kitty asked as she sat down in a nearby chair. "I was so worried when you ran off. Not entirely surprised, but worried."

"I was thinking that Borington's way was going to take too long," Alice said. "Jack knew exactly where to find the Black Pearl and he knew exactly what Barbossa wanted. Speaking of which," Alice turned to Elizabeth who was sitting on the lone bed in the room. "Why didn't you say anything about the curse?"

"James didn't believe us when we tried to tell him that Lydia was a Nereid," Elizabeth said. "Why would he believe us if we told him that there was a ship full of undead pirates who needed Will's blood to be freed?"

"Wait, what?" Kitty asked. Alice turned to Kitty, who's brown eyes were wide with confusion and clear alarm.

"When the moonlight hits them, they appear as half-decayed skeletons," Elizabeth explained. "The first night Lydia and I saw them, I tried to stab Barbossa in the heart. He merely pulled it out and laughed, asking what I planned to do after I killed him." Kitty placed a hand over her mouth and looked between the two girls. "I know you wouldn't believe us. I wouldn't have believed it unless I'd seen it with my own eyes."

"No, I believe you," Kitty said. Alice widened her eyes and tilted her head. Kitty actually believed them about the undead pirates. "I've always believed that a great many things we could never comprehend exist on this earth. If you've seen some of those mysterious things, then I believe you. Plus, it would explain the lack of pirate bodies found in Port Royal after the attack. I know that was baffling James a great deal."

"You actually believe us?" Alice asked, still amazed her very rational sister would just believe them without any tangible proof. Kitty nodded, a soft smile gracing her face. "You're not just saying that to reassure us or something?"

"I swear to you, I'm not," Kitty said. "Though I do want to know what a Nereid is."

"Barbossa explained it as some kind of sea goddess," Elizabeth said. "His exact words were, 'one of the fifty daughters of Calypso.' When she touches seawater these markings appear. He nearly drowned her to see if the markings would appear on her face."

"Not to mention her eyes turn blue," Alice added. "We need to get Lydia out of there as soon as possible. I told her to go along with Barbossa's offer to train her, just to try and keep her safer. But there's no telling what he plans on doing with her once the curse is broken."

"How is the curse broken?" Kitty asked.

"You need to know the origins of the curse first," Elizabeth said. For the next hour, the two sisters filled Kitty in on everything involving Barbossa and his cursed crew. From the origins of the curse to how it would be broken; including Will's role and the reason the pirates came to Port Royal. Alice could see the growing confusion and awe in Kitty's eyes, even if she never showed any sign of being phased in her expression. But she was taking in all of this information surprisingly well. Of course, Kitty was one of the most open-minded people Alice knew. Well, besides herself.

"So my sister's a sea goddess that's currently being held by a group of undead pirates who are going to spill our childhood friend's blood over Aztec gold to free themselves from the curse that makes them unkillable?" Kitty finally asked after everything had been thoroughly explained.

"That's pretty much everything," Alice said. Kitty took a breath and nodded.

"All right then," Kitty said. "But if they can't be killed, how are James's men supposed to effectively rescue Lydia? We need to save both her and Will, but we can't save Will if they've already used him to break the curse. They will want to kill him rather than do a simple cut on the hand like they did for you, Elizabeth."

"Why?" Elizabeth asked.

"To make sure it's done right, more than likely," Kitty said. "If you make a mistake once, during the second try you'd want to take every precaution. It's human nature."

"But they aren't human!" Elizabeth snapped.

"They were once," Alice said. "Lydia seemed almost sympathetic to them when I spoke with her on the _Black Pearl._ I mean, the reason their doing this is so they can have their humanity back."

"But in doing so they're losing their humanity anyway," Kitty said. "Imagine how many they have slain trying to get these coins back. The death toll was in the hundreds at Port Royal alone; and that was for only one coin. Lydia may be sympathetic to their plight, but there's no possible way she's supporting their actions."

"She doesn't," Alice said. "Jack told me she spat in his face before he was marooned. I can imagine the arguments they're having right now..."

"We need to get to the Isla de Muerta as soon as possible," Elizabeth said, standing up. "I can't bear the thought of Lydia or Will being harmed." The door suddenly opened and Kitty stood up. Alice remained sitting on the floor. She'd finally gotten comfortable, resting her back against the side of the bed. James Norrington and Governor Swann entered the room. Alice almost felt guilty about the way her father was glaring at her. Almost. Alice stood by her actions and felt no regret about how she handled the capture of Elizabeth and Lydia.

"Elizabeth, could you come outside for a moment? I would like to speak with Alice alone," Governor Swann said. Elizabeth nodded and left the room with Kitty and Norrington. When the door closed, Governor Swann sat down. Alice took a deep breath, bracing herself for the long, long lecture that she was inevitably about to receive from her father.

"Let me guess," Alice said. "Your actions disgrace our family, blah blah blah, do you have any idea how stupid you've been, blah blah blah, you have to act like a mature young lady, blah blah blah, no man will want to marry you, blah blah..."

"Alice, I'm more relieved that you're alive and well than anything," Governor Swann said. "I had three of my four children go missing within two days. As angry as I was about you running off with a pirate and a blacksmith, I was more afraid for you than anything." Alice arched an eyebrow and stood up, sitting on the bed next to her father. "You remind me much of your mother when she was about your age."

"I do?" Alice asked.

"Well, she wasn't nearly as spirited as you," Governor Swann said. "But she was spirited. She would always hold in her biting remarks and outspokenness until we were alone, unlike you. She would only ever make such remarks about others around me."

"So Elizabeth and I ended up like mum while Lydia and Kitty ended up like you," Alice said.

"Kitty is a pretty even mix of me and your mother," Governor Swann said. "She has the mind of a philosopher and a dreamer, but acts only according to how propriety dictates. I admit, the rules of what is proper and what isn't can be stifling sometimes, especially to women." Alice nodded and sighed.

"So you're not as mad as I thought, then?" Alice asked.

"Of all the things you have done, this has by far been the most rash and stupid," Governor Swann said, his tone suddenly sharpening. "Though I will probably tolerate your sneaking out to the docks and otherwise generally rude behavior if you promise never again to do something like this. As I said before, I was more afraid for you than anything. That isn't to say I'm not upset with you nor is it to say that this will not go unpunished."

"I figured as much, Father," Alice said. She looked up at him and sighed. "I faced death thrice on this venture. As scared as I was, I always accepted that death was a possibility. I knew that I was risking my life for my sisters and I felt that was a risk I was willing to take. I just want you to know that I didn't run off thinking that I wasn't going to face danger. I didn't run off because I wanted an adventure. I did it because I felt like it was the only thing I could do for my sisters. I didn't want to sit around helplessly and hope they were okay." Governor Swann let out a faint smile and hugged his daughter.

"That is perhaps the most mature thing I've ever heard you say," he said. Governor Swann stood up and walked towards the door. "You'll have to remain here for the remainder of the journey. I'm sure the Commodore has a punishment he wishes to enact." Alice rolled her eyes and snorted.

"Please tell me Elizabeth hasn't accepted his proposal," Alice said.

"She has not," Governor Swann said. "But... I suppose I'll confide in you on this matter." Alice arched an eyebrow at her father. "It appears that Kitty and the Commodore have formed a bond with each other."

"They were always good friends," Alice said.

"I believe they're starting to feel a bond beyond friendship," Governor Swann said. "I doubt either of them think I suspect anything." Alice widened her eyes and dropped her jaw. The Commodore and Kitty?

"The Commodore actually has feelings?" Alice asked. It probably wasn't the best way to ask, but considering her hatred of James Norrington... Governor Swann shook his head and sighed.

"I believe he and Kitty have had feelings for each other for a long, long while now. I was shocked when he asked to court Elizabeth rather than Kitty, but I agreed to let him. He needed to figure out his emotions for himself, as did Kitty," Governor Swann said. "In fact, I'm almost sure they're speaking with Elizabeth about the engagement situation. While society might not look kindly upon James leaving one sister to court the other, I have no quarrel with it." Alice nodded and sighed.

"If Borington really makes Kitty happy, then I suppose I could deal with him on occasion," Alice grumbled. Governor Swann smiled and nodded. He turned around and opened the doors, leaving Alice alone in the cabin.

* * *

Lydia stood on the deck of the _Black Pearl_ , staring out at the high sun over the dark waters. The sunlight glittered off the ocean, giving it an almost radiant beauty. A beauty that would surely not be there if nature knew what was going to happen today. Today was the day they would reach the Isla de Muerta and today was the they that her childhood friend would lose his life. And Barbossa had the audacity to ask her to figure out her own feelings for him.

As if she could focus on such things when she knew her friend was very well about to lose his life.

As if she could focus on that when she knew her sisters were almost certainly dead by now.

She sighed, her face stony and cold. She knew very well she had no expression on her face because there was simply nothing to express. Everything she was feeling was beyond words now. It was beyond expression and action. Mere weeks ago she'd been so afraid of everything around her; now it felt more like she just stopped caring. She'd stopped caring about the horrors around her and just began to accept them as they came. When did she become so cold of a person?

"We'll reach the Isla de Muerta by nightfall."

Lydia turned around and saw Captain Hector Barbossa standing behind her. There was a sorrow behind his eyes that she was sure only she could see right now.

"Thank you for telling me when my friend dies," she hissed under her breath. She stormed off in the direction her unofficial cabin, only to be stopped. Barbossa grabbed her wrist and she paused.

"Lydia, I just want to be free of this unending hell I'm living in," Barbossa said. "I want my men to be free. That is all we seek. Freedom from a living hell." Lydia wrenched her hand out of Barbossa's grasp and walked back to the cabin.

She didn't think she could be anywhere near him right now. The last thing she wanted to do was speak to this murderous monster. There was no way she could think of him as anything else. She _couldn't_ let herself think of Barbossa as anything but this monster. The moment she thought of him as even remotely human, she knew she would lose all resolve that she worked so hard to build up last night.

She would not allow herself to fall into the trap of her own emotions.

* * *

"Sparrow believes we will catch up to the _Black Pearl_ by nightfall."

Kitty looked up at Norrington and smiled. The two of them and Elizabeth were heading below deck where they could all speak in private. At least, that was what Kitty was presuming. The brief look he gave her as they left Governor Swann alone with Alice in the Captain's cabin was enough for her to understand his intentions right now.

"Then we could save Will before he dies?" Elizabeth asked.

"If we're lucky," Norrington said. "Based on what you've told us, Lydia will more than likely remain alive so long as Barbossa believes she's some myth." Elizabeth let out a sigh of relief.

"I can't bear the thought of her on that ship for a moment longer," Elizabeth said. "The way Barbossa favors her is almost sickening. I shudder to think of what he'd try to do to her..." She looked up and saw James Norrington looking down almost awkwardly. "But I don't think that's why we're down here right now. What is it that we must discuss in such privacy?"

"Elizabeth..." Norrington started almost hesitantly. Kitty bit her lower lip and looked away. "You care for Turner, don't you?"

"He's one of my dearest friends," she replied stiffly.

"You know perfectly well that's not what I meant," Norrington said. Elizabeth sighed and nodded.

"Yes. Yes I do care for him," Elizabeth said. "But I know nothing can come of it. He is a blacksmith and I am more than likely expected to accept your proposal." She from Norrington to Kitty for a few seconds before making the realization. "You're in love with my sister, aren't you?"

"I did not make the realization until this venture," Norrington said. "But I am. And I believe I have been for quite some time."

"A-And I feel the same," Kitty replied, gently placing a hand on Norrington's shoulder. "I-I have for years now, Lizzie."

"Why didn't you ever say anything?" Elizabeth asked.

"Because it was obvious that James intended to court you," Kitty said. "I cared more for his happiness than my own. It wasn't until after when I realized that your heart belonged to another and at that point..."

"I understand," Elizabeth said. "Does Father know?"

"No," Norrington sharply answered. "We wished to discuss the matter with you first. It would require me to formally retract the proposal but it also might shame you. I may not love you, Elizabeth, but I do care for you. The last thing either of us would wish is to take away your happiness and prospects-"

"James," Elizabeth interrupted. "It is rare that two people are able to marry for love. We can always say that I rejected the proposal. If you retracted the proposal and immediately proposed to my sister, you would surely be shamed as well. I care not for my reputation. I only care that Kitty is happy and well taken care of. I know you can provide that for her."

"Are you certain?" Kitty asked. Elizabeth nodded and Kitty let out a smile. She walked up to her sister and hugged her tightly. "Thank you, Elizabeth. Thank you so much!"

"Besides," Elizabeth said with faint laugh. "My reputation would be ruined if I was with Will anyway." Kitty pulled away from the hug and nodded. "I wish both of you the best."

"I wish the same for you and Will," Kitty said. "We'd better head back to the deck before the crew suspects anything."

"I was just about to suggest that," Norrington said. The three of them walked back up the stairs onto the deck, where the sunlight was already beginning to grow dimmer and glow more orange.


	22. Curse of the Black Pearl: Chapter 21

Lydia sat in the cabin and looked out the slightly murky windows at the ocean. The sun was growing dimmer and the water was reflecting the sunsets orange glow. She sighed, knowing that the time she had been dreading was fast approaching. Her jaw felt tenser than it probably should have. Had she really been clenching her teeth this entire time? She wasn't certain anymore. She could scarcely even remember the last time she had smiled.

Lydia stood up and walked towards the door of the cabin. They were most certainly near Shipwreck Cay. She knew that she could at least get a taste of what it would be like in the head of a shark. Was it the smartest of ideas? Probably not. But it prevented her from having to speak with Barbossa should he approach her concerning that kiss.

Lydia swore under her breath. She had been trying not to think of that stupid kiss. She had been trying to forget that it had ever happened. She had been trying to forget about the soft swell in her chest the moment his weathered lips met her own. She had been trying to forget the seeming gentleness of the kiss and the light brush of his hand against her shoulder as he comforted her from her nightmare of the now-dead dolphin. She swore under her breath again when she realized she was thinking of that dolphin again as well.

Perfect: She was thinking of two memories that she would rather have never existed.

All on the night a third memory that she would definitely want to never exist would occur.

Did the universe plan on so many ill things to occur this week? Or was it merely luck that misfortune kept befalling Lydia and her loved ones?

No matter the cause, there was little Lydia could do about all of her ill memories now. Her sisters were gone, that dolphin was long dead, Barbossa's kiss had happened and she needed to get over it, and Will was most certainly going to die tonight. Nothing short of a miracle could save William Turner now. Unfortunately, Lydia was not that miracle. She could only pray that someone else was. Perhaps the Royal Navy would somehow find their way to the island that couldn't be found and somehow (almost magically) find a way to kill pirates whom could not be killed.

She let out a snort as she opened the door to the deck. None of those things were likely. None of them were even possible, at this point. Lydia just had to accept that everything that was going to happen at this point was inevitable and unstoppable. She strode across the deck towards the starboard side rail. She immediately noticed that they were at Shipwreck Cay. The dim orange sunset glittered over the clear seawater, illuminating the shiny skin of the sharks swarming below. Jagged shadows from the carcasses of sunken ships covered the floor of the Cay, giving the entire floor an eerie atmosphere.

Out of the corner of her eye, Lydia saw Barbossa approaching her. She focused on a single hammerhead shark weaving in and out of the shadows of one ship and closed her eyes, imagining being that shark. She imagined the feeling of moving her body to and fro, seeing from either side of her head and seeing the shadows dance in her vision. When she opened her eyes, she was in the ocean, swimming smoothly between the crevices of rotting wood and cannons.

_"Lydia, I know you can hear me right now."_

If sharks could groan, Lydia would have. At least she wouldn't have to talk to him. She could keep this shark under control and there weren't any cannons falling off ships at this point, nor gunpowder flying or battle raging.

_"I know you don't wish to speak with me. I know you think my actions unforgivable. You've said many a time that an explanation is not an excuse. I have no illusions about meself. I know I'm not a moral man. The suffering of me and my men has lead us to desperation. I've killed, I've cheated, I've lied, I've plundered... I know you see me as nothing more than a monster. Maybe I am more monster than man. Maybe I've forgotten how to be human during this curse of inhumanity. No... I know I've forgotten how to be human. I've long forgotten what humanity is and what it feels like. Yet you... I have felt more human over these last few days that I have in over a decade. After this is over, I want you to stay with me. I want to teach you how to use your gifts but I also just want you to stay because I am a selfish man that hates to give up something he fancies. Someone, I should say. After this is done, I'll give you the choice to return to Port Royal."_

Lydia stopped swimming for a moment before remembering that she needed to move constantly as a shark. Did he just offer to take her home? He was going to let her go? It had to be a trick. It had to be. He'd promised to set her sisters free and they ended up marooned on an island. During the attack on Port Royal he'd refused to take them back to shore because they'd forgotten to include it in the agreement. He was toying with her. He wasn't going to let her go.

_"You probably don't believe me. I wouldn't believe me. See what you've been inspiring in me Swann? For once in my life I'm being plainly honest. Well, mostly honest. I can't just sail into Port Royal with this ship without risking arrest. Prison doesn't quite fit into my plans to live a life of freedom and wealth. I will take you to Tortuga, though. And I'll give you coin enough to buy passage back to Port Royal. I'll leave you a map to the Isla de Muerta so that you can come back to me when you feel ready. I'm not even certain that you'd want to come back to me. But one can always dream. The time for the curse to end is nearing. You're coming to the shore with the rest of the crew and the Turner boy. If you'd be so kind as to leave the shark..."_

If Lydia could have furrowed her brow in confusion, she would have. How did he know she was a shark right now?

 _"In fact, I'm almost certain you're the hammerhead that stopped swimming for a few seconds. You aren't very subtle with your reactions, even as a shark."_ Lydia focused on returning to her body and opened her eyes. She was looking up into Barbossa's stormy blue eyes and she immediately noticed that her jaw was clenched.

"You're right," Lydia said. "I don't believe you. You've given me no reason to believe you. Why should I believe you to have any earnest feelings in your words?"

"Because I am most definitely falling for you." Lydia stared into the Captain's eyes and forced herself to not look away. He didn't look away from her as he said those words. For a moment, she believe that he was telling the truth. She couldn't be sure, though. She could never be sure with Captain Hector Barbossa. "I'm giving you more time to think. I want an answer after the curse is lifted. I want to know whether you want to stay or go and I want to know whether or not you have feelings for me as well."

"Wouldn't those answers coincide? If I stay, I care. If I leave, I don't?" Lydia asked.

"No necessarily," Barbossa said. He rested a hand on her shoulder; the shoulder that he had spent so long tending to. "I've only lied to your face once."

"When?"

"When I said you were nothing special," Barbossa said. "That first night you came aboard. When I took out that bullet. I'd never admit it to anyone else, but I was surprised that you hadn't fainted from the pain. Some men faint from the pain of removing a bullet, but you just sat there and took it. You screamed into the rag, yes, but you didn't try to run. You stayed as alert as you possibly could. And I remember thinking, 'how could this stuttering mouse endure this as well as she is?'"

"If I recall, the comment about me being 'nothing special' was directed towards my chest size," Lydia said. Barbossa shrugged and let out a faint smile.

"I know," Barbossa said. "I wasn't going to mention that part, but I have to say... I didn't give you nearly enough credit when I said your tits weren't bad." Lydia rolled her eyes and let out a snort of disgust. "Apologies. That came out lewder than I expected." He sighed as if he knew he'd just dug himself into a metaphorical hole. "I'm going to get the boy. Prepare to depart and think on my words." Barbossa walked away and walked below the deck, grabbing a coil of rope that was laying on a nearby barrel as he walked.

Lydia took a breath and watched as the sun finished its final descent into the horizon. Though there was still some of its orange light in the sky, she knew it wouldn't last more than an hour. Maybe two. Very soon, the moon would be high and the sky would be black. The stars would be glowing and the light of the moon would bathe the earth and sea, revealing the undead forms of the crew of the Black Pearl. Revealing their lack of humanity, to be more precise.

Lydia knew it was nonsensical to have feelings for a man who had sinned as much as Hector Barbossa. She knew it was a ridiculous notion and she knew that she knew better than to fall for a man with no sense of morals. She widened her eyes in shock.

Did she just admit to herself that she had feelings for Hector Barbossa?

No. It wasn't possible.

It couldn't be possible.

There was no way in _hell_ that she could ever have feelings for that horrid man.

Yet Lydia couldn't bring herself to completely deny it. All of her mental denials felt like she was lying to herself. She felt herself pale as the realization overcame her. She shook her head, wishing she could just deny and rid herself of these feelings. Yet she couldn't. The harder she fought the emotions the stronger they got. "Damn it, Lyddie," she muttered to herself. The next moment, the man haunting her thoughts appeared on deck. Behind him was Will with his hands bound being escorted by those two pirates, Pintel and Ragetti.

"Lydia!" he shouted. She almost ran up to Will, but took two steps before realizing that she might not be allowed to speak with him. She frowned and looked up at Barbossa. It was almost as if she thought he might allow her to speak with him. It wasn't likely in the slightest. Yet he shocked her when he motioned for her to approach Will. "Lydia! Are you hurt? Are you all right? They haven't touched you, have they?"

"I'm fine, William," she said. "No one's touched me." That was part was a lie, but there was no way on earth she was going to tell him that the man who had sentenced him to die had kissed her and apparently held feelings for her. "You should be more concerned for yourself."

"Into the longboats!" Barbossa ordered. "Turner and the Nereid are with me."

"How did I know?" Lydia snorted bitterly. The longboats were lowered immediately and a rope ladder thrown over the rail. The pirates all climbed down (Lydia insisted she go first. She wasn't about to have a hoard of lewd pirates look up her skirts) and entered the longboats. Lydia avoided the blue gaze of Hector Barbossa as they were rowed to the dreaded Isla de Muerta. Tonight, everything would change for Lydia. She had a chance at freedom. Now the question was whether or not she'd take it. Now the question was whether or not she'd choose a man she hardly knew over her posh life in Port Royal where she would more than likely live her days as a spinster. Follow her heart or follow her head? Where did her head and heart even lead?

Nothing was certain for Lydia Swann anymore.

Nothing.

* * *

"I don't care for the situation." Jack looked up at Commodore Norrington as he inspected the tattered black sails of the _Black Pearl_ though his spyglass. "Any attempt to storm the caves could turn into an ambush."

"Not if you're the one doing the ambushing," Jack said, resting his elbow on the Commodore's shoulder. "I go in, I convince Barbossa to send his men out with their little boats. You and your mates return to the Dauntless and blast the bejesus out of them with your little cannons, eh? What have you got to lose?"

"Nothing I'd lament losing," the Commodore said, peeling Jack's arm off of his shoulder. The disgust of being touched by a pirate was evident in the Commodore's eyes. Jack bit his lower lip and looked at the _HMS Dauntless._ He silently hoped Alice would forgive him for what he was about to say that would lead to even stricter confinement for her.

"Now, to be quite honest with you, there's still a slight risk for all those aboard the _Dauntless,_ which includes the Swann sisters," Jack said. He saw a flicker of fear cross over the Commodore's face before it returned to its usual stoic expression.

"Send word to the _Dauntless_ that the Swann girls are to be locked in the Captain's cabin," Norrington shouted to the longboat behind him. The head of that longboat nodded and ordered his men to row back to the _Dauntless_ to execute the orders. Jack knew that Alice was going to kill him for that, but at least she would be alive to do said killing.

Kitty was sitting on the deck, speaking with Elizabeth about being on that deserted island when suddenly Gillette and two other marines approached. "Yes, gentlemen?" Kitty asked.

"Miss Swann and Miss Swann," Gillette said. "The Commodore has ordered that you be confined to the Captain's cabin for safety reasons."

"Confined?" Elizabeth demanded as she stood.

"Yes," Gillette responded. Kitty stood up and tensed her jaw. She knew that Commodore Norrington probably had the best of intentions in mind, but locking them in a room? It felt almost like a prison sentence.

"But he doesn't know!" Elizabeth shouted. "I have to warn him!" Gillette made a single motion with his hand and he and another marine grabbed Elizabeth by the arms.

"Sorry, but it's for your own safety," Gillette said as he dragged Elizabeth across the deck. Kitty followed, storming after the Lieutenant that dared to manhandle her elder sister.

"Coward!" Elizabeth shouted. "The Commodore ordered... I have to tell him! The pirates! They're cursed! They cannot be killed!"

"Don't worry miss, he's already be informed of that," Gillette sneered. He shoved Elizabeth inside the cabin. Kitty darted inside, afraid to be manhandled in the same manner. She wasn't as brave as her sisters. Alice stood up from her spot on the floor and tilted her head to the side. "A little mermaid flopped on deck and told him the whole story." The door slammed shut and Elizabeth pounded on the door.

"This is Jack Sparrow's doing!" she shouted. She sighed and leaned against the door, clearly frustrated.

"What happened?" Alice asked.

"The three of us are confined here for our safety," Kitty said, rolling her eyes. Alice dropped her jaw and then suddenly tensed up, her anger evident in her furrowed brow. Then almost an instant later, Alice paused and began to pace. "Alice?"

"Shush, I'm thinking," she said. "We need to get out of here. We need to free Jack's crew and we need to get in there to get Lydia back. We're the only ones that know that the Pirates can't be killed."

"You're coming up with an escape plan?" Kitty asked. Alice nodded as she paced the room. She suddenly had an idea pop into her head and she walked over to the window. "What did you think up?"

"We need a lifeboat by this window," Alice said. "Elizabeth and I can make a rope out of the sheets. Kitty, right now you're our best bet for convincing one of the marines to lower a boat."

"But I'm stuck in here, same as you," Kitty said.

"Answer me this; where's your violin?" Alice asked with a smirk. Kitty froze and smiled, realizing she had left it in her makeshift practice room. Kitty nodded and walked up to the door and knocked on it.

"Excuse me?" Kitty asked. "I left my violin below deck. I would have for something to happen to it, especially knowing how much it cost my father." The door opened slightly and the soldier motioned for Kitty to leave room. She nodded and walked across the deck with one of the marines next to her. He followed her as she went below deck to collect her violin. Now all she had to do was convince him to lower a longboat for Alice and Elizabeth. As if _that_ would be a challenge for her.


	23. Curse of the Black Pearl: Chapter 22

Alice sat with Elizabeth, tying sheets together for their makeshift rope. "The longboat won't be by this window when it's dropped. I can swim over and move it if you need me to. I'm probably the strongest swimmer out of all of us... you know, considering the day before the attack on Port Royal you nearly drowned."

"Only because of the damned corset," Elizabeth said with a faint smirk. Alice let out a faint laugh. The door to the cabin opened and Kitty strode inside, carrying her violin. She smirked and nodded.

"I convinced one of the marines to lower the longboat," Kitty said. "It should be floating outside the cabin."

"How?" Elizabeth asked with a broad smile.

"I've gotten to know most of the marines over the past few weeks," Kitty said. "All I needed to do was promise one of the lower ranking sailors that I would pay for his wedding. Simple."

"You're brilliant!" Alice said. She ran up and gave Kitty large hug and then turned back to the makeshift rope. "The rope should be long enough to reach the longboat by now. All we need to do now is find a way to secure it. so that it won't fall."

"I can hold it," Kitty said. "I'll stay here and secure it while you two go. I haven't faced these pirates. I would do more harm than good if I were to go with you."

"You sure?" Alice asked. Suddenly there was a knock on the door and all three sisters froze, afraid they were about to get caught in the act.

* * *

"Girls?" the voice of their father asked. The three sisters exchanged glances and Kitty motioned for them to go. She took one end of the makeshift rope and tied it around the leg of a table. Kitty kept the sheets gripped tightly in her hands as Alice opened the window. Luckily, it made no creaking sounds to alert the crew or her father as to what they were doing. Once Alice had disappeared out of the window, Elizabeth took the rope and climbed down as well.

Kitty could hear her father rambling about something involving decisions and choices. She wasn't entirely sure what her father was trying to get at. Kitty peered out the window to see Elizabeth and Alice in the long boat. Alice gave Kitty a single nod before taking the oars and rowing. Kitty pulled the makeshift rope back into the cabin and shutting the window as quietly as she possibly could. "Girls? Are you even listening to me?"

"Of course, Father," Kitty replied. She quickly grabbed a nearby book and sat down, pretending as if she were reading it. A few seconds later, the door opened and Governor Swann entered the room. Kitty looked down at the book, feigning innocence.

"Katherine?" Governor Swann asked. Kitty looked up, giving her father her sweetest smile.

"Yes, Father?" she asked.

"Where are Alice and Elizabeth?" he asked slowly. Kitty merely shrugged and turned back to her book. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see her father's jaw tense up. "Katherine Ruth Swann you will tell me where your sisters are, or so help me-"

"Father, you know I wouldn't be covering for them if it weren't important," Kitty said, slamming the book down. "Trust them as I do. Besides, there isn't much that can be done about it now. If you want to punish me, fine. Punish me as you see fit. I don't care! I know my conscience is clear right now." Governor Swann sat down and nodded. Kitty let out a soft smile and hugged her father. "They'll be all right. They know what they're up against."

"You make it sounds as if the marines don't know what they're fighting," Governor Swann said.

"They really don't," Kitty said. "Even if I were to explain it, I doubt anyone would believe me. That's why Alice and Elizabeth didn't say anything about it. Perhaps its why Sparrow never mentioned anything about it either. Or maybe his reasons were his own, who knows? I don't know the mind of that drunken pirate." Governor Swann sighed and looked down.

"Tell me what they're up against," he said. Kitty took a breath and began to tell her father what her sisters had told her. Maybe it would help, maybe it wouldn't. Who knew at this point?

* * *

Lydia sat silently in the longboat as they rowed to the heart of the Isla de Muerta. She made every attempt possible to not look into the blue eyes of Hector Barbossa. She knew that he was most certainly watching her, though. She knew it without even looking. Lydia kept her eyes focused on the glittering bits of gold that rested beneath the shallows. Not that she was actually focusing on any one piece of gold. She was more staring blankly into the water, letting her attention dart briefly to a flash of yellow before returning to her blankly-staring state.

Her mind was racing with thoughts and emotions. She bit her lip as she pondered the thoughts running rampant in her head. Will was about to die and she needed to give Barbossa an answer after the curse was broken. A few weeks ago she would have rejected him and asked to be returned to Port Royal without a second thought. In fact, she probably would have done the same a few hours ago. But now... now she was uncertain of whether or not she wanted to leave. Even the thought of those blue eyes made her heart race just a hair faster.

In her head, she knew it was wrong to have such feelings for an uncouth, murderous pirate. Yet her heart was telling her the opposite. Her heart was telling her that this man was not his deeds. He wasn't his mistakes made in desperation. Her head and her heart were pulling her in two completely different directions and it was driving her mad. She was so wrapped up in her mental debating that she hardly noticed when they reached the caves. She wasn't pulled out of her thoughts until she felt a large, rough hand on her shoulder. A hand that shoulder was all too familiar with. "Miss Swann, we're here," Barbossa said.

Lydia took a breath and stood up, stepping out of the boat. The moment her bare feet touched the pools of seawater within the labyrinth of caves, she noticed that the swirling brown markings were appearing again. She looked up at Will, who had his hands tied behind his back and was being shoved into the caves by Pintel and Ragetti. If she had to be here for this, she wanted to be as far away from that damned altar and Barbossa as possible.

Lydia wandered over to the walls, leaning against the damp rock. She stared blankly out into the cave, not focusing on anything in particular. She looked down at a puddle of water and finally caught sight of her reflection.

Her eyes were the startling blue they turned into when she touched the sea. Yet her face didn't bear any of the Nereid markings. That wasn't what surprised her though. What surprised Lydia was how much older she looked... how much colder she looked. She looked down and saw a woman who had seen true horrors and simply stopped caring. She saw a stoic woman who had hardly a glimmer of light inside her (now blue) eyes. Yet there was light. Not much of it, but enough for Lydia to be sure that she still had some hope remaining inside of her. She looked away from the puddle and glanced at the altar.

Standing on top of the mound of coins, surrounded by the light of torches, was Hector Barbossa. He was looking at Lydia. She couldn't tell what he was thinking about based on his expression, but she knew it definitely had to do with him finally breaking the curse. Of course, this meant that Lydia had finally made the mistake of meeting his eyes. She tensed her jaw and turned her head. She needed to have a clear mind to make such a decision. She took a breath and knew she already had the answer to one of his questions. She might as well give him that answer at least. Yet when she started walking towards him, Will was shoved up to the top of the mound of gold and the pirates started chanting. The ritual was beginning. Barbossa gave Lydia a brief, apologetic look, before turning to Will and drawing the knife.

Lydia was the first to notice the arrival of Jack Sparrow. He began making his way through the crowd of pirates, trying to get to the front. If Sparrow was here, then... then her sisters had to be alive. They had to have been rescued by someone! Lydia suddenly smiled and looked up at Barbossa with a smirk. "Begun by blood! By blood un-" Barbossa finally looked down and saw Jack Sparrow. His eyes darted briefly over to the smirking Lydia.

"Jack!" Will shouted.

"S'not possible," Barbossa breathed out, turning back to Jack.

"Not probable," Jack corrected.

"Where's Elizabeth?" Will asked.

"She and Alice are safe, just like I promised," Jack said. "They haven't been harmed, just as he-" pointing to Barbossa, "promised. Lydia's apparently still cooperating with you, just as she promised. And you-" pointing to Will, "get to die for her, just like you promised. So we're all men of our word, really. Except for Lydia, who is, in fact, a woman."

"Shut up!" Barbossa spat, pointing at him with the knife. "You're next." He turned back to Will and bent him down over the chest. He held the knife up to his throat. Lydia tensed her jaw and looked away. She knew she couldn't maintain any sort of composure at the sight of Will's neck bleeding out. She could barely handle the death of a dolphin. How could she possibly handle the death of another human? One that had been her friend for many years?

"You don't want to be doing that, mate," Jack said. Lydia turned back to the scene and watched as Barbossa tilted his head to the side.

"No, I really think I do," he growled. Jack merely shrugged and shifted his weight from his heels to the balls of his feet and back.

"Your funeral," Jack muttered. Lydia widened her eyes in fear for a moment. Was she actually afraid of Barbossa's death? She supposed that it only furthered her certainty that she held _some_ feelings for Hector Barbossa. She looked up and saw Barbossa roll his eyes and straighten up.

"Why don't I want to be doin' it?" Barbossa asked.

"Well because," Jack started. Bo'sun grabbed Jack's shoulder, trying to stop him from getting closer to Captain Barbossa. Jack merely turned around and swatted Bo'sun's hand away. "Because the _HMS Dauntless_ , pride of the Royal Navy, is floating just offshore. Waiting for you." Lydia gasped and held a hand up to her face. So they had been rescued by the Royal Navy. The pirates all looked around at each other and began to murmur. Barbossa's eyes widened and he looked over at Lydia. She tensed her jaw and stared up at Barbossa.

"Just hear me out, mate," Jack said as he approached Barbossa. "You order your men to row out to the Dauntless. They do what they do best," the crew all smiled and laughed at this. "Robert's your Uncle, Fannie's your Aunt, there you are with two ships. The makings of your very own fleet. 'Course you'll take the grandest as your flagship, and who's to argue? But what of the Pearl? Name me Captain, I'll sail under your colors, I'll give you ten percent of me plunder and you get to introduce yourself as… Commodore Barbossa. Savvy?"

"I suppose in exchange you want me to not kill the whelp," Barbossa said.

"No, no, not at all," Jack said. "By all means, kill the whelp." Will looked up at Jack in shock, as did Lydia. "But not yet. Wait to lift the curse until the opportune moment." Jack was looking directly at Will when he said this. Lydia almost immediately caught onto his meaning. He wasn't telling Barbossa to lift the curse at the right moment... he was telling _Will_ to lift it at the right time. Lydia wasn't about to make this know, however. She had a role to play in this as well.

"For instance," Jack said, scooping up a handful of coins. "after you've killed Norrington's men. Every last one." He tossed in each coin, one at a time as he spoke. Lydia paid particularly close attention to his hands as she approached the stone chest. After his last word, she saw a glint of gold slip into his pocket.

"You've been planning this from the beginning. Ever since you learned my name!" Will shouted.

"Yeah," Jack replied with a smile.

"I want fifty percent of your plunder," Barbossa said.

"Fifteen," Jack haggled.

"Forty," Barbossa argued.

"Twenty-five," Jack said with a tone of finality. "You can keep the Nereid and I'll buy you a hat. A really big one, Commodore." Lydia dropped her jaw in disgust. They were seriously going to include her in their agreement as if she were a prize to be won?

"We aren't bargaining over Lydia. She makes her own choices," Barbossa snapped. Lydia widened her eyes in shock. Did he really just say that? Barbossa looked down at Lydia and gave her a brief nod. He looked at Jack and nodded. "We have an accord." The two pirates shook hands, solidifying their deal.

"All hands to the boats!" Jack called out. Lydia saw the harsh glare that Barbossa as giving Jack at that moment. So did Jack, apparently, out of the corner of his eye. "Apologies. You give the orders."

"Gents!" Barbossa called out. "Take a walk." The pirates all smiled and made their way out of the cavern, leaving behind a confused Jack. Lydia furrowed her brow and looked up at Barbossa. What did he mean by take a walk? The ship would be out in the water, a good distance away from the island. They would need to walk underwater!

Lydia widened her eyes when the thought came to her. Of course! Walk underwater. They could do that because they were undead and wouldn't drown. She wanted to run away and warn Commodore Norrington and his men. She wanted to... but she couldn't. Not while she was in this cavern with Barbossa's eyes on her.

"Not to the boats?" Jack asked, clearly confused. This was obviously not what he had been expecting.

"Lydia!" she turned around and saw Barbossa walk away from the chest. "A moment, if you would?" Lydia nodded and carefully stepped over the piles of treasure and the puddles of seawater. When she reached him, he took her by the arm and walked as briskly as he could out of earshot of Will and Jack. "Before the ritual started you were coming towards me as if you had something to say. Did you think of an answer to my questions?"

"For one of them," Lydia responded. "The other is still uncertain and depends entirely on you." Barbossa arched an eyebrow and motioned for her to continue. Lydia took a breath and briefly glanced downwards. "Yes. I do have feelings for you, Hector. Everything in my head is telling me I shouldn't, but I suppose my heart refuses to listen."

"You feel the same?" Barbossa asked, as if he himself could scarcely believe it. Lydia nodded.

"I do," Lydia said. "But whether I stay or go depends on your choices tonight. If you kill Will, I can promise you that I _will_ leave. I could never forgive you for killing a man when an alternative was available. If you choose to kill Will, you'd be killing him out of spite, not desperation to end a curse. You weren't going to kill Elizabeth and it was only assumed that she was half-Turner as well."

"And if I keep the whelp alive?" Barbossa asked.

"I'll stay," Lydia replied.

"I don't want you to stay just so the boy stays alive," he told her. "You only stay if you want to stay."

"I would stay because I'd know there was good in you," Lydia said. "That there was some humanity in you. Don't forget, you're still the only person I know of in the Caribbean that knows about what I am." Barbossa took a step closer to her and rested both of his hands on her waist. Lydia decided to go with this embrace and rest her arms on his broad shoulders. He took a single breath and shook his head.

"I'd like nothing more than to kiss you," he said. "But I know it'd be pointless. I'd just be torturing myself, trying to feel what I can't. After this curse is broken, however..."

"Remember what I said," Lydia warned. She felt her face grow warmer and immediately knew she was blushing. Her heart began to beat faster with a sort of anxious excitement. His rough, weathered hand gently stroked her cheek.

"I'll keep it in mind, Lyddie," he said. He let go of her and took a step back. He turned his head, immediately tensing his jaw. Lydia looked to the side and saw Jack and Will staring at the two of them in shock. Now that the cat was partially out of the bag... Barbossa walked back towards the stone chest.

Lydia walked over to the puddle of water closest to the chest and sat down in front of it She extended her hand and watched as a stream of water flowed upwards. She didn't even have to turn around to know how shocked Will must have been to see that. She smirked as she played with the stream of water. She wasn't just playing around, though. She was trying to see what she could do with this water if (or when) the time for a fight came around. Whether it was to be tonight or sometime in the distant future, she didn't know. All she knew is that she wanted to be ready.


	24. Curse of the Black Pearl: Chapter 23

"Undead pirates?" Governor Weatherby Swann finally asked once Kitty had finished explaining. The brown haired girl merely nodded as her father processed everything that she had said in the last ten minutes. "And you believe this nonsense?"

"I do," Kitty said. "Alice's face said it all. She was definitely telling the truth." Suddenly there was a loud yell from outside the cabin. Kitty sprang to her feet and widened her eyes. The growing crescendo of gunfire and screaming told her everything she needed to know. She ran up to the window and saw a red coat fly down from the bridge. She cracked open the door and gasped at what she saw. There in front of her was a skeletal pirate, stabbing a man with his own bayonet. She slammed the door shut and locked it, pressing her back against the back. "Now do you believe me!?"

"Undoubtedly," her father responded as he ran up to his daughter. A bell rang out for less than a minute before falling silent. The next moment, Kitty heard cannon fire... coming from _their_ ship. "They've got the cannons."

"Oh God..." Kitty muttered. She looked behind her and ducked down under the glass of the door. No one had seen her and her father yet. She looked out the foggy glass to watch for any sign of rescue. Suddenly a shadow crossed her line of sight. She gasped and ducked down lower. Her father ducked to the side. A man was slammed against the glass, his face sliding down the side of the door. One of the undead pirates walked up to the window and locked eyes with her.

They'd been found.

Kitty screamed as an skeletal arm shot through the glass. She backed away from the door and struggled to stand up. Her father was backing alongside the doors as arms kept shooting through the windows. One of the hands grabbed her father's wig. Instead of letting go of the wig, Governor Swann was now having a tug-of-war with the skeleton for his wig. "Let go of the wig, father!" Kitty shouted as she grabbed a candlestick. She ran to her father and slammed the candlestick down onto the arm, severing from its body.

Now, while Governor Swann was heading towards the back of the room, Kitty was repeatedly hitting the arm with a candlestick. If she weren't fearing for her life, she would have found the entire situation ridiculous.

* * *

Lydia sat by that pool of water, still trying to ignore the slack-jawed looks from Sparrow and Will. Barbossa had taken to sitting next to her as she manipulated the pool of water in front of her. The smooth stream of water was moving straight upwards. On occasion, Lydia would move it from side to side in a whip like motion. She wondered if it could actually hurt someone. Maybe with enough force it could knock a man over. Who knew?

"I must admit, Jack, I thought I had ye figured. But it turns out that you're a hard man to predict," Barbossa said as Jack rummaged through the treasure.

"Me? I'm dishonest," Jack said, tossing a golden statue of a woman to the side. He started swaggering towards Barbossa, who was slowly getting more suspicious of him. "And a dishonest man you can always trust to be dishonest. Honestly. It's the honest ones you want to watch out for, because you can never predict when they're going to do something incredibly… stupid."

Jack then grabbed a sword off one of the pirates and then kicked him into the water. He tossed the sword to Will, who started to fight the pirate guarding him. Jack drew his own sword and charged towards Barbossa. Barbossa pushed Lydia to the side, as if to ensure that she stayed out of the battle. Barbossa drew his sword and the duel between him and Sparrow had begun. Lydia took a step back and concentrated on the pool of water she'd been the last fifteen or so minutes connecting with. She couldn't explain how, but she felt as if she knew every inch of that pool of water... and it knew her and her desires as well.

Will fought with the pirate and turned around right as he swung his sword, cutting the bindings on Will's hands. Lydia raised her arm, her stream of water rising from the pools of the cavern. She swung her arm out and the water almost became a whip. The other pirate was climbing out of the water, but Lydia tried her watery whip to knock him in the stomach and drag him back into the water... Unfortunately, she wasn't using enough water to accomplish that. The force of the water merely splashed the pirate across the stomach. She caught Barbossa's eye for a mere second, catching the faint look of betrayal in his eyes.

Part of her felt guilty for fighting against him... yet she needed to save Will, no matter the cost. While Barbossa looked at her, Jack swung his sword and cut off the feather on Barbossa's hat. The moonlight had appeared through a few of the openings in the top of the cavern now. One of the pirates was bathed in it, revealing his skeletal form. He let out a roar, trying to intimidate Will. There were three pirates fighting Will now as Barbossa and Jack dueled. The two men crossed swords and Barbossa leaned in closely to Jack. "You're off the edge of the map, mate," he said. "Here there be monsters." He swung Jack away from him and chased after him.

Lydia furrowed her brow, trying to build up more of the water. Hopefully she would soon be able to gather enough force behind her water to be useful in this fight. She knew she could do it. She just needed to put everything around her out of her mind. Slowly, the water rose upwards, this time in a bigger column than before. She slowly closed her fist, trying to condense the water as much as she possibly could. The more pressure she could build, the better. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jack and Barbossa dueling their way up a ledge. A pirate ran for Will's back and she shot the pillar of water at him in a sweeping motion. The pirate was pushed away from Will and fell into a deeper pool of water.

Lydia smiled, knowing she'd finally done it and that she wasn't completely useless in a fight after all. She heard a clang and saw that Barbossa had tossed his sword aside. "You can't beat me, Jack," Barbossa shouted, swinging him arms out. Jack stood up and thrust his sword into Barbossa's stomach. Lydia dropped her water pillar, soaking everything it had been over. She dropped her arms and looked up at Barbossa, who was just standing there with a sword through his stomach.

She knew he couldn't die from it, so why was she so afraid. _You know the answer to that,_ a voice in the back of her head told her. Lydia bit her lower lip and gulped as she ran closer to the ledge. Her feelings for Barbossa were going to make it nearly impossible for her to concentrate on the water enough to fight. Grabbing a sword wasn't an option because she had no idea how to use one... now she truly was uselessly standing there. Barbossa sighed and took the sword out of his stomach and shoved it into Jack's. Lydia let out a startled gasp and froze in her place.

Jack let out a gargle as he stumbled backwards. He stepped into the moonlight and immediately turned into the decaying skeletal form that Barbossa was cursed with. Lydia dropped her jaw in shock and stared between Barbossa and Jack. "That's interesting," Jack said. He took the gold coin he had slipped into his pocket from the stone chest and flipped it across his finger bones. "Couldn't resist, mate."

Barbossa looked absolutely livid. He picked up a handful of coins and tossed them into Jack's face. He picked up his sword and chased after Jack. Lydia backed up against the side of the cavern and looked around, hoping to avoid being seen. Jack elbowed Barbossa in the throat, sending him tumbling down the ledge. At one point, Barbossa nearly fell of the side. Lydia swept her arms to the right, creating a large wall of water that knocked Barbossa back onto the ledge.

"Who's side are you on, lass!?" Jack shouted.

"Not sure yet!" Lydia shouted as she lowered the water wall. Over to her left, the two pirates who had been attack Will had stabbed each other in the stomachs. When the realized Will was still there, they took the swords from their stomachs and chased after him. She heard a loud thud and saw that Jack had shoved Barbossa into a wall.

"Sorry!" Jack shouted as he ran away from Barbossa. They ran out to the flat area near where Lydia was standing and clashed swords a few times before Barbossa was pushed onto a rock.

"So what now, Jack Sparrow?" Barbossa asked, the two men breathing heavily. "Will it be it two immortals locked in an epic battle until Judgment Day and trumpets sound? Hmm?"

"Or you could just surrender," Jack said with a smirk. Jack swung for Barbossa's neck and missed. Barbossa rolled away and stood up, swinging at Jack. He punched Jack in the face and then shouted loudly, chasing after Sparrow.

"Stay where you are, Swann," he said as he passed her. "Don't get involved!"

"Too late for that," Lydia shouted as the undead pirate captain ran off. She had to think of a way to gain more control over the water. Standing and concentrating for at least five minutes per attack wasn't going to do much. She looked at the pool of water and a crazy idea popped into her head. "I'm going to regret this..." she muttered. She ran towards the water and jumped in, feeling the salt water surround her. The metallic clangs of swords sounded farther away now. Yet Lydia knew this idea was working, because she was slowly feeling as if she were stronger.

* * *

"We're here!" Alice whispered as the approached the Black Pearl. Time was of the essence right now. The sooner they freed the crew, the sooner they could go into the caves and save Jack's drunk ass. Alice stood up and jumped onto the side of the ship, climbing up the side of it. Elizabeth followed suit, the two girls staying as silent as they possibly could.

"Right... what would you pick to eat first?" Alice heard of the remaining pirates ask.

"I think we should decide now... just so we're ready when the time comes," the other responded. Alice ignored the two pirates and kept climbing upwards. She reached the rail and skillfully climbed over, carefully to land on the deck as lightly as possible. She scanned the deck once she touched down, then helped Elizabeth onto the deck. The two scanned every inch of the deck and turned to each other. The nodded to each other, as if they knew they had the same plan. Suddenly a monkey dropped down in front of Alice's face. She widened her eyes, horrified and backed up to the edge of the ship. Elizabeth, however, merely glared at the undead monkey.

Elizabeth grabbed the monkey by the neck and tossed him down as hard as she possibly could. What the two didn't anticipate was the monkey landing on a cannon with a hard bang. They looked over the edge and watched as the monkey fell to the water with a loud splash. They also saw the heads of those two pirates appear from behind the cannon, their skeletal forms revealed in the moonlight. How did Lydia endure seeing that every night for the past month?

Elizabeth and Alice quickly moved away from the ledge and ran across the deck as fast as possible. They darted down the stairs and quickly ran around the corner of another room, out of sight of the two pirates now rushing to the deck. When the two pirates disappeared out of the sight, the girls ran down to the cells where Jack's crew awaited. When they appeared at the cells, they were greeted with shocked eyes. "It's Elizabeth and Alice!" Gibbs said. Alice grabbed the cell keys off the wall and ran up to them, unlocking the doors. The crew rushed out and they all charged up the stairs, with Alice at the head.

Alice saw the longboat tied up and had a crazy, yet brilliant idea. The two other pirates hadn't seen her yet and were peering over the rail of the ship. She loosened the ropes keeping the longboat secure and then shoved it towards the undead pirates as hard as she could. A loud cheer from Jack's crew erupted as the two pirate guards fell into the ocean with a loud splash.

"All of you with me!" Elizabeth shouted as she made her way to the longboat. Alice followed her and grabbed a rope. "Will and Lydia are in that cave and we must save them. Ready? And heave!" Alice and Elizabeth pulled and the rope, though the longboat didn't move far. Alice and Elizabeth turned around and stared at the crew in shock.

"Come on! We need your help!" Alice shouted.

"Any port in the storm," Cotton's parrot squawked.

"Cotton's right," Gibbs said. "We've got the Pearl."

"And what about Jack!?" Alice shouted, storming up to Gibbs. "You're going to just leave him? He could die!"

"Jack owes us a ship!" one man shouted. Alice tensed her jaw and rolled her eyes.

"And there's the code to consider," Gibbs said.

"The code?" Elizabeth asked. "You're pirates! Hang the code and hang the rules! They're more like guidelines anyway!" The pirates all stood around and did nothing. It was clear to Alice that they weren't going to help him.

"Fine," Alice snapped. "If you're going to be a bunch of blood cowards, we'll let you run away with the him. I don't care anymore! I just want Jack to stay alive!" She stormed over to the side of the ship and climbed over, making her way down to the longboat stolen from the _Dauntless._ Elizabeth followed her, sitting in the boat with a hard glare on her face.

"Bloody pirates," Elizabeth growled as Alice started to row away. As they neared the cave, the _Black Pearl_ was making their way the opposite direction.

"The cowards really are running away," Alice said with a sigh. "I thought more of them. I guess I was wrong."

"All pirates are cowards," Elizabeth said as they neared the mouth of the cave.

"Jack isn't," Alice said. She jumped out of the longboat and pulled it to shore. Elizabeth stepped out and the two girls ran into the cave.

"You care for him, don't you?" Elizabeth asked as they ran.

"Yep," Alice responded simply. She drew her small dagger and charged into the cave. She could already hear the sounds of steel on steel. They entered the cave and heard a loud explosion. "Shit. The one with the bombs is here." Elizabeth grabbed a long staff, resting against a pile of gold and walked up behind the explosive-loving pirate.

"I'm gonna teach you the meaning of pain!" the pirate shouted.

"You like pain?" Elizabeth asked. She swung the metal rod and knocked him to the side. "Try wearing a corset."

"That was incredible, Liz," Alice said. She picked up a sword and tossed it up, feeling the balance. It would do for now. Alice turned her head and saw Lydia emerge from a pool of water. She was sopping wet and every bit of her flesh that wasn't covered with clothing revealed the swirling brow markings. When she opened her eyes, they were a startling, bright blue. It was almost as if they were glowing. Elizabeth had helped Will up by now, and they were currently staring at each other affectionately. "Hey! Less googly eyes! More fighting!" When Alice looked down to the duel between Barbossa and Jack, she narrowed her eyes in shock.

Jack was now cursed. When did that happen? "Who's side is Jack on?" Elizabeth asked.

"At the moment?" Will asked. Alice ran off the fight two other pirates who were heading towards Lydia. Elizabeth and Will seemed like they had those other three pirates under control. Alice charged towards one with her dagger, only to miss. Why did she miss? Well, a large column of water had appeared behind those two pirates and swept them against the stone walls.

"Nice going, Lyddie!" Alice shouted. She kicked one of them in the crotch and stabbed him in the chest. Lydia merely smirked and focused on her water again. It was pretty useful to have a Nereid in a fight. Suddenly there was a loud explosion, causing everyone to look in the direction of Will and Elizabeth. Alice watched as Will ran to the stone chest. Jack cut his hand and bled onto the gold coin in his hand, tossing it up to Will. Barbossa took out his gun and aimed it at Alice.

Alice froze and stared Barbossa dead in the eye. A gunshot rang through the air. "NO!" she heard Lydia shout. Alice looked down, expecting to feel pain and see blood... yet there was neither.

She hadn't been the one who was shot.

Jack had fired his gun at Barbossa.

"Ten years, you carry that pistol," Barbossa said. "And now you waste your shot."

"He didn't waste it," Will said. He dropped his bloodstained medallion, as well as Jacks, into the stone chest. Barbossa looked at Jack, and then opened up his vest. He let out a melancholy laugh. He only now felt life, only to feel death instead. Blood was spurting out of the wound in his chest.

"Hector," Lydia breathed out. She rushed towards Barbossa, concern in her blue eyes. Alice narrowed her eyes in confusion. Since when did Lydia care about Barbossa? The two locked eyes and Lydia froze in her tracks. Tears were beginning to fall down her cheeks now.

"I feel... cold," Barbossa said. He fell backwards, landing in a pile of gold. A bright green apple fell out of his limp hand and rolled across the ground and into the water. Lydia ran up to the now dead pirate captain and knelt to the ground.

"No..." she murmured, tears rushing down her face. Alice walked up to Jack and motioned for him to leave Lydia to grieve. He silently nodded and walked away with Alice, his hand lightly touching the small of her back. Elizabeth and Will walked away from the scene as well, obviously with the same idea as Jack and Alice.


	25. Curse of the Black Pearl: Chapter 24

Alice strolled over to another pile of gold and looked around. Jack stood next to her, picking up items of gold and observing them. He took a few gold necklaces and put them on with a faint smile. "I feel bad for Lydia," Alice said, sitting down on a chair of gold.

"I feel bad for her too," Jack said. "But I don't feel bad about killing Barbossa. He deserved it."

"I know," Alice said. "Honestly, this is probably better for her. At that point, he would have either been shot by you or arrested by the navy. If he were arrested, he'd get hanged. As we are the daughters of the Governor, we would be required to attend. Either way, she would have had to watch the man she cared for die before her eyes. Instead of watching him suffer for a few minutes, she only saw him die quickly. You killing him was a mercy for her." Jack was now wearing a crown and was carrying several more items of gold.

"I suppose so," Jack said as he walked up to Alice. "What's next for you then? Hmm? Are you returning to Port Royal or are you going to come with me and sail on the _Pearl_?" Alice looked down and bit her lip. She still wasn't sure of how she was going to tell Jack that the crew had sailed away with the _Black Pearl_. "Alice? What is it, love?"

"Elizabeth and I freed the crew before coming to the cave," Alice said. "They wouldn't come with us to rescue you. They left, Jack. They kept to the damned code." Jack's face fell and he slumped down next to Alice, shaking his head.

"They've done what was right by them," Jack said. "I can't expect anymore than that."

"I'm sorry," Alice said, placing a hand on Jack's shoulder. He took her hand and squeezed it gently. "I can try and get you away from the navy. I can try to find a way to help you escape-"

"Alice, I don't want you in anymore trouble," he told her. Alice looked down at him and shook her head.

"I'm not going to roll over and let you be hanged!" she nearly shouted. "I will fight them. They have to let you go free! You saved Elizabeth and Lydia, you killed Barbossa... That has to earn you something, if not freedom from death. I can't... I can't go through what Lydia's going to go through. I can't lose the only man I ever cared for in my entire life." Tears were threatening to flow and she wiped her eyes clean. "God, look at me. I'm about to start sobbing like a over-emotional broad."

"Alice, look at me," Jack said softly. Alice felt his hand lift her chin so that they were looking into each other's eyes. "Don't try to spring me out of prison. Don't do anything that would condemn you too. The best thing you can do for me now is live. Live your life how you wish. Have your own adventures in this world. Go somewhere, go everywhere. Experience everything you possibly can."

"You act as if I weren't already prepared to run from Port Royal," Alice said with a melancholy laugh. After this ordeal, she knew she could never return to life at Port Royal. She knew she could never again live with the facade of a noblewoman. That life wasn't for her. Perhaps her family would understand in time. Jack let out a smile and pulled Alice closer to him.

"That's my girl," he said. Alice smiled and laughed, resting her head on his shoulder. "I'm glad I met you that day in Port Royal."

"I'm glad I chose to sneak out of the house rather than attending Norrington's promotion ceremony," Alice said. She looked up at him with her brown eyes and said, "You're not what I ever imagined you to be. Nothing I read about does you justice. You're so much more amazing."

"Me? Amazing?" Jack asked. He shrugged and smirked. "I guess I am pretty great." Alice lightly hit Jack on the arm and smiled. He bent down and pressed is lips against hers, kissing her almost gently. Alice brought her hand to his face and kissed him back eagerly. His hand moved to the back of her head and his fingers weaved themselves into her hair, pulling her closer to him. She let out a tiny whimper as Jack deepened the kiss, sliding his tongue into her mouth.

"Jack," she whispered as she pulled a little bit away to catch a breath. Jack resumed the kiss almost instantaneously. She felt her heart beating so fast the she was sure it would fly out of her chest at any moment. Her head felt light from how breathless this embrace was making her. She never wanted him to stop kissing her for as long as she lived She felt Jack's hand stroke her cheek and he pulled away, breathing heavily.

"Alice," Jack murmured. "I think I'm in love with you." Alice smiled and felt her face grow hot.

"Jack," she replied. "I think I'm in love with you too." She felt tears threaten to fall. One tear managed to escape. "I can't watch you die, Jack. I just can't. Why can't we just have one of those cliche, happily-ever-after endings? Why can't fairytale endings exist just this once?"

"Because fairytales aren't real," Jack said, wiping the tear from her cheek with his thumb. He stood up and looked through one of the piles of gold, as if he were searching for something. He picked up a necklace and let out a laugh. "I can't believe it." Alice arched an eyebrow and took a closer look at the necklace.

It was a string of pearls... though they weren't normal pearls. This was a necklace of black pearls. "I couldn't have found anything more perfect for you." He motioned for her to come to him. She stood up and walked slowly up to him, tripping on a golden vase in the process. He stepped behind her, taking the black pearl necklace and tying it around her neck. When it was tied, she turned around and looked up at Jack. "You're so beautiful, you know that?"

"Not really," Alice said, her cheeks growing more flushed. Jack smiled and pressed a kiss to her forehead. He held her close to him and lightly stroked her hair. "I don't want to lose you."

"I know, love," he whispered into her hair. "I know." Alice stood there and relished every moment she had left with Jack in this cave. She prayed that she would never have to leave his embrace again, but she knew that was the naive wish of a girl in love. She knew reality would rip him away from her within the next two weeks... and she couldn't do anything to stop it.

* * *

Lydia knelt down next to the body of Hector Barbossa. Tears were flowing heavily down her face and dripping onto his coat. She could hear the footsteps of the other four people in the cavern as they walked away from her. Obviously they were going to give her a moment. She honestly didn't expect that. She expect them to tell her to get up and move on. After all, Jack had been trying to kill Barbossa for the last ten years, Alice was nearly killed by him, Elizabeth was kidnapped by him, and Will was nearly used as a sacrifice so he could regain his and his crew's mortality.

He was a flawed man. An incredibly flawed man. Yet what human being could claim to be flawless? Lydia still wasn't entirely sure why she cared for him as much as she did. She wasn't sure why she was still caring for him now. She had known him for a month, yet she mourned his death as if she'd known him for years. She looked downwards at his limp hand that was slowly growing paler. She could hardly see from the tears welling in her eyes. She looked down at her own hand. She could see that the markings were beginning to fade away. She took a breath and silently muttered a prayer for him. It was the very least she could do for the man she loved.

She paused and her breathing paused for a second. Did she love him? Perhaps she did. She wasn't entirely certain, as she had never been in love, but perhaps she was. Perhaps she loved him still, even though he was dead. She shook her head and let out a faint, melancholy laugh. Of course she doesn't make this realization until after he had been killed. She felt as if she were the biggest fool to walk the Earth in that moment.

For many minutes, Lydia sat there, letting her tears fall over Barbossa's body. "I pray we meet again, Hector," Lydia whispered, tears falling onto his shirt. "I pray reunite in the next life, however long that may take. I-I love you. I always will." She pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek, then pulled away. She brought her hand to his still open eyes and gently closed his eyelids. He looked more at peace now. Well, as much at peace as he could appear with blood staining his white shirt.

Lydia walked over to where the green apple had fallen and picked it up. She walked back to Barbossa's body and placed the apple into his hand. It almost felt right to have him holding the apple he longed to taste. Perhaps she would have tasted it the next time he planned to kiss her. She stood up and turned around taking a breath, trying to ignore the urge to turn around and stay by his body longer. She almost didn't want to leave him there, but she had no choice. She turned her head around and took in the sight of him one last time. "I'm sorry, Hector. I'm so, so sorry. I will never forget you and I will love you always." She took a breath and bit her lip, trying to force back the next wave of tears that threatened to spill.

Lydia turned her head around and walked away from the body of Hector Barbossa, the only man she had ever loved. Perhaps he would be the only man she ever _did_ love. She walked away and saw Will and Elizabeth approaching her. "Are you alright, Lydia?" Elizabeth asked.

"No," Lydia said, wiping a tear away. "I'm not alright. I doubt I'll be alright for a while. But I'm alive. You're alive, Alice is alive, Will's alive... we're all alive. That's what matters right now. Not my emotional state." Elizabeth nodded and walked with Lydia. They peered behind a pile of treasure and saw a crying Alice being held by Jack. She looked up at Elizabeth in confusion. "When did-"

"When we were marooned," Elizabeth said. "But I suspect they've cared for each other long before then. And now she's going to lose him." Lydia furrowed her brow.

"I thought Sparrow would just sail away on the _Black Pearl_ ," she said.

"When Alice and I freed the crew they refused to help us," Elizabeth explained. "They sailed away with the ship." Lydia looked down and then looked over to her youngest sister. Lydia had just watched the man she loved die before her eyes. Now Alice was going to have to do the same when the time for Jack Sparrow's hanging came. The pain she was feeling right now was something Lydia would never wish on anyone; especially her younger sister.

Lydia took a breath and approached Jack and Alice. She rested a hand on Alice's shoulder and whispered, "It's time." She saw Alice look up, her eyes puffy and red from the tears she'd shed, and nod. She left the arms of Jack, but not before giving him one last peck on the lips. Lydia turned around and followed Will and Elizabeth out of the caves. She didn't need to look to know that Jack was still holding onto Alice as they left the caves. She knew Alice would cling to him until the very last moment they had together. It was all she could do at this point.

* * *

Kitty watched as the cursed, skeletal hand stopped moving. She also watch as it regrew flesh and blood. She made the mistake of hitting the newly-formed arm with the candlestick another time, spurting blood across the floor and onto the hem of her pink dress. She covered her mouth and felt bile rise in the back of her throat. Her father looked at the severed arm in disgust and quickly covered it with a sheet. "That's disgusting," Kitty said. Governor Swann nodded in agreement. A few minutes later, they heard the men shouting, 'huzzah!' over and over. Kitty walked to the door and unlocked it, stepping outside of the cabin.

The pirates were no longer cursed, it appeared. They appeared as humans beneath the moonlight and were being rounded up by the Royal Navy, as they shouted, "Huzzah!"

"Huzzah!" Governor Swann shouted. "Huzzah!"

"Huzzah!" Kitty shouted with a laugh. She could scarcely believe she made it out of that alive and unharmed. She couldn't say the same for some of the men. From what she could see on the deck, about a third of the crew of the _HMS Dauntless_ now lied dead. She frowned slightly and searched the deck for Commodore Norrington. She saw him with his bloodstained sword pointed at the chest of one of the pirates, smirking as his men cheered for their successful recapture of the ship. She practically ran up to him, her skirts dragging across the deck. "Commodore!" she shouted.

James Norrington looked at her and smiled. "Katherine," he breathed out. "Thank God, you're alright. When I heard the bells, I feared for you."

"I feared for you when I heard the fighting begin," Kitty said. "They did it though. They broke the curse."

"Curse?" Norrington asked. "Is that why they appeared undead?" Kitty nodded and motioned for him to follow her to the Captain's Cabin. He sat down in one of the armchairs in the cabin, not daring to ask what lied under the sheet. "Where's Elizabeth and Alice?" he asked as he looked around the cabin.

"I'll explain everything," Kitty said. So she went into the entire story that Elizabeth and Alice had told her. She explained everything from the Stone Chest of Cortez to the need for Will Turner's blood. She watched as his brow furrowed in confusion, as if he wasn't sure he believed it. Though it wasn't as if he could deny what he had seen this night. He had to believe it, even if he would never openly admit it once they returned to Port Royal. By the time she'd finished explaining, Gillette had entered the cabin.

"Commodore," he said. "Sparrow and Turner are returned on one of the longboats. They have Lydia, Elizabeth, and Alice Swann with them. I don't know how Elizabeth and Alice got there, but the five of them seem to be alive and well."

"Good," Norrington said, standing up. "Katherine, could you get some spare clothing for your sisters."

"Of course," Kitty said. "I'll wait for Lydia in here. Oh, um, and maybe take the sheet with the severed arm out of here. I'm certain my father will vomit if he has to lay eyes on it again." Norrington nodded and bent down, taking the sheet and wrapping the arm up.

"It'll go overboard," he told her. Kitty nodded and turned to her trunk, kneeling down to search for three dresses. The door clicked shut as soon as she took out the first dress and Kitty was left alone.


	26. Curse of the Black Pearl: Chapter 25

Lydia didn't speak once she stepped onto the _Dauntless,_ other than the required, "Yes, I'm fine" and "No, I'm not hurt." It did not escape her notice that her greeting was one of concern and relief, while Elizabeth and Alice were practically scolded like small children. Lydia saw Kitty poke her head out of the Captain's cabin and motion for Lydia to enter. Lydia walked over to the cabin and shut the door behind her as she entered. She wanted to be alone, more than anything, but Kitty's company was always pleasant to have.

"I'm so glad you're alive, Lyddie," Kitty said as she hugged her sister. "But your expression tells me you're not alright." Kitty pulled away from the hug and sat down with her sister, lightly stroking her hair. "You can always come to me if you wish to confide in someone. Elizabeth and Alice explained everything to me." Lydia let out a very faint smile and nodded, wiping away a single tear that threatened to fall. The door suddenly opened and Governor Swann entered the cabin.

"Lydia, thank God," he breathed out. He sat down on Lydia's other side and hugged her tightly. "I'm so glad you're safe." Lydia hugged her father back and closed her eyes. She had thought she'd never see her father again. She'd thought she'd never see her sisters again either. She thought she'd never see Port Royal either. Yet now that all those she had missed and never thought to see again were within sight, she couldn't feel happy about it. She felt cold and numb.

She felt nothing.

Lydia couldn't seem to find any way to feel happy or relieved at her rescue. She didn't even realize she had started crying. Her father and sister undoubtedly thought her tears stemmed from relief rather than mourning. "We're already heading back to Port Royal. We should be there in a week." Lydia nodded and said absolutely nothing.

 _I've rendered ye mute, then?_ she heard the voice of Barbossa ask mockingly. She let out a ghost of a laugh and wiped away some of her tears. She supposed that the now-dead pirate Captain _had_ rendered her mute in a sense. His memory would linger in her mind for many years to come; of that Lydia was entirely certain. "Are you alright, Lydia?" she heard her father ask. Lydia shook her head and wiped a few more tears from her eyes.

"No, Father," she said. "I'm not. Not in the slightest."

"What happened on that ship?" he asked.

Lydia let out a laugh and shook her head. So much had happened in so little time. It felt as if the day of Commodore Norrington's promotion ceremony had been centuries ago rather than a mere month ago. She wasn't a meek little noblewoman anymore. She was a Nereid now. She had experienced the supernatural and experienced finding and losing love. She'd seen and experienced horrors no one could even imagine. She'd been shot in the shoulder and lived. She'd seen death and experienced death as well. She'd grown so much in the last month. So much, in fact, that she could hardly recognize the naive young woman that she used to be in Port Royal. She wasn't sure how she was going to handle the return to a life of privilege, rules of propriety, and games of high society. So much had happened to her that she had no idea where to begin or what to say to her father.

All she could really do was shrug and say, "I fell in love, Father. And then I lost him."

Her father pulled her into another hug and held her as she sobbed onto his silk coat. He said nothing as he stroked his daughter's back. Lydia knew that he should be judging for falling in love with a pirate. She knew she should be reprimanded for the path her heart wanted her to follow. Yet her father did nothing. A silence hung in the room as Lydia cried and her sister and father comforted her.

Lydia knew she would never again be the same person that she was before.

* * *

It had been a week and a half since Alice had last seen Jack Sparrow.

And now she would finally see his face again, only to watch him die.

Life was a cruel mistress indeed.

Alice stood with her father, her sisters, and Commodore Norrington in the back of the courtyard of Fort Charles. As the daughter of the Governor, she was of course required to dress like a lady... which included a dress. Luckily, she was allowed to wear a very simple white gown with light lilac stripes. She would have worn black, but that would have given away her relationship to Jack Sparrow, something that would shame her father immensely. Plus, she had already promised Jack that she wouldn't get herself into any more trouble by revealing her feelings for him. Yet she couldn't stop herself from wearing the string of black pearls Jack had given her back at the Isla de Muerta. It took everything in her power to stop herself from crying in that moment.

Lydia stared blankly ahead at the gallows, her face cold and void of emotion. She wore a simple green gown... a green almost exactly the color of the apples Hector Barbossa apparently coveted. This was more than likely her subtle way of paying tribute to the pirate she'd fallen for. Kitty wore a similar expression of stoniness and shook her head. She donned a gown of robin's egg blue, a color that worked extremely well for her. Alice knew Kitty was just as upset about this execution as Elizabeth and Lydia. From what Alice had heard, Kitty did everything in her power to try and change the sentence for Jack Sparrow. She'd begged Commodore Norrington to have mercy on Jack Sparrow. After all, he'd helped save Lydia and Elizabeth. But the Commodore could not spare him from execution. He was bound by the law, according to Kitty.

In Alice's opinion, it was a load of bullshit.

The monotonous drumming began and Jack Sparrow emerged from the prisons. His hands were bound and there was a guard on either side of him, ensuring he didn't escape. Alice bit her lower lip and shook her head. She wasn't sure she could watch this. She wasn't sure she could handle watching this. But she had to. She had no choice in the matter. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Lydia looking at her, her eyes full of concern. An official stepped up by the gallows and unrolled a scroll containing his crimes and sentence.

"Jack Sparrow, let it be known that you have..." the official read.

"Captain," Alice muttered. "Captain Jack Sparrow." Luckily, no one but Lydia appeared to hear her.

"...for your willful commission of crimes against the crown," the official continued, as the drummers drum on. That stupid pattern was going to haunt Alice for the rest of her life, she knew it. "Said crimes being numerous in quantity and sinister in nature, the most egregious of these to be cited herewith. Piracy, smuggling-"

"This is wrong," Elizabeth said.

"I agree," Kitty said, looking up at Norrington. "Was there truly nothing that could be done?" James Norrington looked down and said nothing, answering Kitty's question clearly with his silence.

"Commodore Norrington is bound by the law," Governor Swann said. "As are we all." Alice held back a snort of disgust. That was cheap excuse for sentencing a good man to die.

"Impersonating an officer of the Spanish Royal Navy, impersonating a cleric of the Church of England-" Jack seemed to smile at that one, earning himself a harsh glare from the executioner. Alice let out a smile and shook her head. He was still proud of his adventures, even as he stood on the brink of certain death. "Sailing under false colors, arson, kidnapping, looting, poaching, brigandage, pilfering, depravity, depredation, and general lawlessness." As the crimes Jack had committed were read off, Alice caught the sight of something blue and gold flying through the air.

The parrot landed on a banner being held by Mullroy and promptly pooped on his shoulder. Alice let out a faint smile and widened her eyes. That was Cotton's parrot... and if that parrot were here, then... Then the _Black Pearl_ was in Port Royal. Jack had a chance of being saved! She held back her excitement and glee and scanned the crowd. Will emerged from the crowds and stood before the Swann family and Commodore Norrington. "And for these crimes you have been sentenced to be, on this day, hung by the neck until dead. May God have mercy on your soul," the official read.

"Governor Swann, Commodore, Miss Swann, Miss Swan, and Miss Swan," Will greeted with a curt nod to each. When he looked at Alice he gave her a second nod and looked towards the parrot. He was in on whatever rescue was being planned for Jack. "Elizabeth," Will said, at last, passion evident in his voice. "I should have told you every day from the moment I met you. I love you."

Governor Swann turned to Elizabeth in shock, and Elizabeth dropped her jaw ever so slightly. Will turned away and disappeared into the crowd as the noose was placed around Jack's neck. Elizabeth's eye darted to the side and she saw Cotton's parrot flying away. Alice and Elizabeth exchanged glances and nodded to each other. Will shoved his way through the crowds, eliciting shouts of annoyance from the townspeople of Port Royal.

"Marines!" Commodore Norrington shouted when he realized something was happening. Elizabeth looked around and then began to furiously fan herself.

"I can't breathe!" she gasped. She fell backwards and pretended to faint.

"Elizabeth!" Alice shouted. She knelt down to her sister as Governor Swann and Commodore Norrington rushed to her aid. The townsfolk screamed as Will drew his sword from his belt. The executioner grabbed the lever that would send the floor flying from Jack's feet.

"Move!" she heard Will shout above the scream of terror. When the bottom of the scaffold fell, Will threw his sword, embedding it right where Jack's feet could balance on it, sparing him from suffocation. Will ran up to the scaffold, drawing a second sword as Elizabeth sat up, watching the scene. It was now clear to Governor Swann that she had faked the fainting spell. Alice watched as Will's sword clashed with the executioner's axe. Jack was frantically trying to balance on the thin, metal sword beneath his feet. Alice wanted to run up and do something, but she was unarmed and wearing a dress.

Norrington now had a group of marines behind him as he charged to the gallows. Will's sword was knocked out of his hand by the axe, but the executioner mistakenly cut the rope tied around Jack's neck, effectively freeing him. He fell down and cut the rope around his wrists with the sword. Will shoved the executioner onto Norrington, delaying him for a minute.

Jack removed the rope from his neck and threw the other end of it to Will. The held out the rope and ran towards a group of three marines. The marines hit the rope and fell to the ground. They used the rope to trip around two marines, who flipped forward and landed on their backs. They wrapped the rope around yet another two marines and pulled them hard against a pillar, knocking them out. Alice ran to where the fighting was happening and watched as Jack and Will fled from the marines with perfect unison. They ended up by the parapet that Elizabeth had fallen from over a month ago, only to be surrounded by a flock of marines and their bayonets. Alice appeared behind her father and Commodore Norrington, who held out his sword to Will's chest.

"I thought we might have to endure some manner of ill-conceived escape attempt but not from you," Commodore Norrington said, his voice low and his face stern. The rest of Alice's sisters had appeared behind Governor Swann by now.

"On our return to Port Royal, I granted you clemency. And this is how you thank me?" Governor Swann asked. "By throwing in your lot with him? He's a pirate!"

"And a good man!" Will argued, throwing down the sword he'd taken from another marine. Alice looked at Jack, who met her eye and nodded, as if telling her to come with him should they escape. As if he _needed_ to silently ask her such a thing... "If all I have achieved here is that the hangman will earn two pairs of boots instead of one, so be it. At least my conscience will be clear."

"You forget your place," Norrington growled.

"It's right here, between you and Jack," Will said. Elizabeth marched forward and linked her arm with Will's.

"As is mine," Elizabeth said. Alice walked forward as well, her head held high and her eyes brimming with bravery.

"And mine," she said, taking a place next to Elizabeth. She looked defiantly into the eyes of Commodore Norrington. She saw Lydia let out a faint smile and a nod. She understood perfectly what Alice was feeling right now.

"Elizabeth! Alice!" Governor Swann gasped. "Lower your weapons." When no one lowered their bayonet, Governor Swann furrowed his brow and shouted, "For God's sake put them down!"

"So this is where your heart truly lies, then?" Commodore Norrington asked them.

"It is," Elizabeth said.

"Was there ever any doubt?" Alice questioned. She looked up and saw Cotton's parrot sitting on the wall. She nodded upwards briefly, to try and get Jack to notice the bird as well. She turned to him and smirked when he saw the bird.

"Well," Jack said, stepped out from behind Elizabeth and Will. "I'm actually feeling rather good about this." He walked up to Governor Swann and basically breathed into his face. Governor Swann recoiled, apparently disgusted by the smell of his breath. "I think we've all arrived at a very special place, eh? Spiritually… Ecumenically… Grammatically?" He swaggered over to Commodore Norrington and smirked. "I want you to know that I was rooting for you, mate. Know that." He turned to Elizabeth and shrugged. "Elizabeth. It never would have worked between us darling. I'm sorry." Elizabeth furrowed her brow in confusion and looked up at Alice. Alice merely shrugged and watched Jack. He turned Lydia, whose face was still rather cold. "Lydia. I just wanted to apologize. But it had to be done. I hope you understand that." She looked down and nodded ever so slightly. "Will! Nice hat," Jack said with a glance towards Will.

He finally turned to Alice and smiled. "Alice. Alice, Alice, Alice," he said. "I think you know what I'd say to you." Alice nodded and laughed. Jack ran up to the parapet and stood on the edge. "Friends! This is the day that you will always remember as the day that-" Jack didn't get to finish that sentence, however. He fell backwards off the ledge and into the waters below.

"Jack!" Alice shouted as she ran over to the edge.

"Idiot," Gillette snorted. "He has nowhere to go but back to the noose."

"Don't be so sure," Alice said with a smirk. Gillette looked at the smirking blonde in confusion for a few seconds.

"Sail ho!" A sentry called out. They all looked up and saw the _Black Pearl_ sailing towards Jack Sparrow, who started swimming towards the ship. Alice let out a laugh and a smile . She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned around to find Lydia.

"Alice," Lydia said. "This is your moment. You won't get another chance."

"But, I thought-" Alice stammered.

"Alice. You have a chance to be with the man you love," Lydia told her, her voice soft. "Don't let him slip away. You need to find your own happiness." Kitty appeared next to Lydia and nodded in agreement. Alice took a breath and nodded. She looked up at her father and bit her lower lip.

"Father," she said. "I need you to disown me."

"What?" Governor Swann asked incredulously.

"I need you to disown me," Alice repeated. She looked out to the sea, where the _Black Pearl_ sailed closer. She shook her head and smiled. "We both know that this life isn't what I was meant for. I will never be happy so long as I remain in Port Royal. My happiness is out there, with Jack. I love him." Governor Swann looked down and sighed.

"Is this what you truly want?" he asked her.

"Yes," Alice replied. "It is." Governor Swann nodded and took in a breath.

"Alice Harriet Swann, I hereby disown you. But know that should you ever return to Port Royal, I will welcome you with open arms," Governor Swann said. He took a step towards Alice and gave her one final hug. He stepped away and the rest of the Swann sisters hugged Alice.

"Go," Lydia told her. "Live your life." Alice nodded and smiled. She walked up to that ledge and stared at the sea below. She turned to face everyone in Port Royal one last time.

"Bye!" she said in a singsong tone. She then jumped off the parapet, screaming the entire fall to the sea. She landed in the water with a loud splash. She felt the rush of cold, salty water surrounded her as she plunged underwater. She swam as hard as she could to the surface, gasping for air when her head bobbed above the water.

"Alice!" she heard Jack shouted. "Why!?"

"You know why!" she shouted back as she swam towards him. When she reached him, he took her arm, as if he intended to help her swim to the _Black Pearl._ He laughed as they swam away from Fort Charles together. Alice smiled and laughed along, knowing that this course of action was right for her. She was more than ready to start her new life as a pirate aboard the _Black Pearl._


	27. Curse of the Black Pearl: Chapter 26

Kitty leaned over the ledge of the parapet as Alice jumped into the water. She let out a smile as she watched her younger sister swim off towards the _Black Pearl_. It was no secret that the life of high society wasn't for Alice. Perhaps now she could truly be happy. "What's your plan of action?" she heard Gillette ask. Kitty turned around and looked up at Commodore Norrington. He looked down, his face clearly showing his uncertainty as to what to do. He was actually thinking about whether or not it was worth going after Alice and Jack. "Sir?" Gillette repeated. He stood there silently and then looked up at Kitty. She shook her head faintly, trying to tell him to let the two of them go.

"Perhaps on the rare occasion pursuing the right course demands an act of piracy, piracy itself can be the right course?" Governor Swann suggested. Commodore Norrington looked down and let out a soft smile.

"Mr. Turner," he said, turning around and stepping off the edge of the parapet. Will started to go towards Commodore Norrington, but Elizabeth held onto his arm. It only took Kitty one look to know that she was afraid for the blacksmith.

"I will accept the consequences of my actions," Will said, giving Elizabeth's hands a quick, tight squeeze. He stepped down towards Commodore Norrington, Elizabeth holding onto his hand until the very last moment. Commodore Norrington took out his sword and inspected it carefully.

"This is a beautiful sword. I would expect the man who made it to show the same care and devotion in every aspect of his life," Commodore Norrington said, his meaning not lost on either Kitty or Will. Commodore Norrington wanted to make sure that Will took care of Elizabeth. He wanted to make sure that she was provided for and kept well. Kitty knew that Commodore Norrington still had lingering feelings for Elizabeth. It would have been unrealistic for Kitty to expect otherwise out of him. After all, those you fall in love with never truly leave you heart. Even if you fall for someone else, a small part of you will always care for that person. Kitty let out a smile, glad that Commodore Norrington and Elizabeth were now officially parting on good terms.

"Thank you," Will said, apparently grateful to Commodore Norrington as well. It seemed that Will wasn't going to be punished for his involvement in the escape of Captain Jack Sparrow. He would be free to be with Elizabeth. It seemed that everyone was gaining happy endings, save for Lydia. Kitty felt a brief swell of pain in her chest at the thought of Lydia's sorrow. It must have been horrible to fall in love with a man, only to watch him die before your eyes. Kitty could never imagine being in that situation. The mere thought of seeing James Norrington die before her filled her heart with fear.

Commodore Norrington sheathed his sword and turned around, leaving the parapet. His men turned around with him, leaving the scene of the escape to return to their respective duties. Kitty walked by Commodore Norrington's side, keeping herself a respectable distance away from him while still being near enough to keep her heart content. "Commodore!" Gillette shouted. Commodore Norrington turned on his heel and looked at the Lieutenant. "What about Sparrow and Swann?"

Commodore Norrington paused and let out a brief smirk, saying, "Well, I think we can afford to give him one day's head start." He turned back around and left the parapet, the soldiers following closely behind him.

Kitty was sure that Gillette was standing there, bewildered by his commanding officer's decision. The soldiers walked to their respective posts. Meanwhile, Kitty strolled next to Commodore Norrington in the general direction of his office. His pace had slowed considerably, as if he were more meandering towards his office than anything. Perhaps he just wished to spend more time walking with Kitty. Funny how the simplest of interactions could make her heart feel light. "You're making the right decision, James," Kitty said.

"If it's the right decision, why do I feel so torn?" Commodore Norrington asked. Kitty looked up at the man, immediately noticing his tensed jaw and narrowed eyes. Even now, he was doubting himself.

"You feel torn because you had to choose between conscience and duty," Kitty replied. "It's hard to know that you're doing something right, even if it means you must go against what you think you must do. Trust your conscience, James. I doubt yours will ever steer you wrong." Norrington let out a faint smile and looked over at Kitty.

"Thank you, Katherine," Commodore Norrington said. "You always were able to make me feel more confident in my decisions." Kitty let out a smile and shrugged.

"I merely say what I believe to be true," Kitty said. "As I recall, you said that my wit will get me into trouble one day."

"I believe I also implied that I found it endearing," Norrington said with a smirk. "Which I do, by the way." Kitty looked down and felt her smile grow just a little bit larger. Her face flushed as she walked next to Commodore Norrington. A few seconds later, her father and Lydia showed up behind him.

"I'm glad for Elizabeth and Will," Lydia said, her voice soft, but not meek as it had once been. "Alice and Sparrow as well, even if I'm not overly fond of the man."

"As am I," Kitty agreed. She turned around and took Lydia by the arm, walking next to her. "Lydia, are you sure you're alright?" Lydia looked down, her eyes growing vacant as if lost in though.

"No," Lydia said. "I'm not sure I am. At least not right now. One day I will be, though. I know it. But for now, I'm just glad to see my sisters finding happiness." Kitty let out a smile and nodded, giving her sister a very light squeeze of the hands.

"By the way, Commodore," Governor Swann said in a low voice. "I would wait at least two months before making any official pursuits of Kitty. After all, you just ended a courtship with her sister." Kitty paused and stared at her father wide-eyed. Commodore Norrington had very much the same reaction.

"How did- I mean, when-" Norrington stammered.

"Come now, Commodore," Governor Swann said. "I'm a fairly observant man. You and Kitty have been close for many years now. I admit, I was surprised when you came to me for permission to court Elizabeth. I had thought for sure that you were going to ask for Kitty's hand." The four of them now stood in front of the Commodore's office. Lydia was standing next to her father with a faint smirk on her face, holding in small chuckles. Kitty and Norrington were stand there, frozen in shock and fear.

Since when had her father noticed that they had feelings for each other? Had he known that they had begun an unofficial courtship of sorts? Of course he knew. He had to know if he was making a comment on when they should officially begin courting. Kitty and Norrington exchanged wide-eyed glances, clearly having the exact same thoughts. "But, how did..." Kitty started to ask. Her father laughed and shook his head.

"I know you well, Kitty," he said. "You didn't think I'd notice when you came back to the cabin with a constant smile on your face? Or when the two of you started glancing at each other during mealtimes?" Kitty closed her jaw and began to blush. He'd noticed? Did that mean anyone else had noticed? Were they not being as subtle as they wanted to? Now Kitty was worrying about who else could possibly know that her and the Commodore had feelings for each other.

Governor Swann laughed and shook his head. "Calm down, you two. You look as if you're about to have a heart attack." Kitty glanced over at Commodore Norrington, who looked as if he were suddenly scared of the Governor. "I think it's obvious I approve of the match." Kitty let out the sigh of relief she didn't realize she had been holding.

"Thank you, Father," Kitty breathed out. She felt a hand gently touch her should and looked up to see Norrington's handsome smile. "Your approval means the world to us." Governor Swann nodded and smiled.

"We must be going," Governor Swann said. "I wish I could allow you stay at the fort for as long as you wished, Kitty, but right now we must keep up appearances."

"I completely understand, father," Kitty said, her smile faltering slight. Governor Swann seemed to notice this and bit his lower lip.

"Well, then perhaps I should begin to make trips to your estate, Governor Swann," Commodore Norrington said. "To discuss a plan of action for tracking down Sparrow and further protections for Port Royal against pirates... among other things." He added with a faint smirk. The three Swanns immediately caught and let out knowing smiles.

Commodore Norrington bowed curtly to the Governor and his daughters. "Good day, Governor, Miss Swann... Katherine," he said. Kitty blushed and couldn't stop her smile from growing. Norrington rose and nodded before walking towards his office. Kitty turned around to face her father and eldest sister. Lydia immediately stepped towards Kitty with an extended hand. Kitty took her sister's arm and followed their father back to the carriage that waited outside of For Charles to take them back to their manor.

* * *

Alice climbed up the rope that the crew of the _Black Pearl_ had thrown down for her and Jack. She kicked off her shoes before she took the rope. She felt no lament at the loss of those (more than likely) expensive shoes. She didn't care that they were lost to the depth of the harbor for probably all of time now. Jack took the rope in one hand and held onto Alice's waist with the other. "HEAVE!" someone on deck shouted. Almost immediately, Alice and Jack were hoisted into the air and flung onto the deck. Alice let out a squeal as she fell on top of Jack when the landed on the bridge. "I thought you were supposed to keep to the code," Jack said as the crew all ran up to them.

"We figured they were more actual guidelines," Gibbs said with a light chuckle. He extended a hand and helped Jack to his feet. Alice stood up and leaned against the side of the ship. She watched as Cotton placed Jack's signature hat on top of his head.

"Captain Sparrow," Anamaria said. She walked towards Jack and put his coat over his shoulders. "The _Black Pearl_ is yours." Jack strode towards the wheel and caressed it gently. Alice couldn't help but smile. He finally had the ship he had so coveted back in his grasp. Jack's face suddenly grew sterner and she immediately knew he was turning into a captain again.

"On deck, you scabrous dogs!" he shouted. The crew immediately began to scramble to their posts and ready themselves for sail. "Man the braces! Let down and haul to run free." Cotton's parrot echoed Jack as they made their way to their positions. Alice stepped towards Jack and leaned her head onto his shoulders. He wrapped an arm around her waist and took out his compass. "Now bring me that horizon..."

Jack suddenly started to hum to himself. Alice immediately knew the tune. It was song she sang with Elizabeth when she first left England. It was the song they were singing the night they first kissed. And now it was the song to be sung when they went off on their first adventures together.

"And really bad eggs…drink up, me hearties, yo ho," he softly sang as he snapped the compass shut.


	28. Interlude One

It had been eight months since the day that was supposed to have been Captain Jack Sparrow's execution.

Almost every day since then, Lydia had found some way to run off to a secluded spot on the shore and just sit there for hours at a time. She would often sit in silence and stare at the waters. She watch the seawater lap against the shore, the waves gently caressing her bare feet. Every time, she'd see those now-familiar brown markings swirl to life. She would try to exercise her abilities as much as she could. Every time she saw that she had caused a stream of ocean water to move, she would hear the voice of Hector Barbossa praise her or tell her to try something. She liked to think that his spirit was guiding her as she figured out more about herself...

But Lydia wasn't nearly that idealistic.

She knew it was all her imagination. She knew it was her subconscious desire for Barbossa eating away at her mind and soul. Not one day had passed when she didn't think of the charismatic, cursed pirate Captain that had stolen her heart. Not one day passed when she didn't regret not telling him she loved him when she had the chance.

And now she never could.

Lydia felt a few tears fall down her face; tears she immediately wiped away with her thumb. She promised herself that the only tears she shed today would be happy tears. Not tears of sorrow, loss, and pain. Not on the day of her younger sister's wedding. Not on the day that Kitty Swann finally married the man she was meant to love.

Lydia raised a gentle hand upwards and watched as a large column of water rose from the ocean. She made a single motion with her index finger and the water swirled around her, almost forming a cage of seawater. _You're getting stronger,_ she heard the voice of Hector Barbossa tell her. She tried to shove the voice and every emotion that came with it to the back of her mind. She instead focused on the water... only the water.

Now a days, the sea made her feel more at ease and more comfortable. She understood now why Alice saw so much appeal in it. But unlike Alice, her place right now was in Port Royal with her younger sisters. The life a pirate wasn't for Lydia... at least not anymore. Not without Hector Barbossa.

"Lydia?"

She looked up and moved the stream of water away from her. There by the entrance to Lydia's hidden cove was her father. He was dressed in finery of blue silk wearing his signature grey wig. She let out a faint smile and watch as Governor Swann approached her and sat down next to her. It had taken time for him to accept Lydia's identity as one of the fifty Nereids, but he had finally grown to accept Lydia's strange abilities. He had seen undead pirates, after all. Not much could come as a huge shock after something like that.

"Shouldn't you be getting ready?" Governor Swann asked his daughter.

"I probably should," Lydia replied. "But I needed to come out here. I needed to clear my head. The sea helps me relax."

"You were thinking about him, then?" Governor Swann asked. No elaboration was needed as far as the identity of 'him' was concerned. Lydia's father never once pushed her to speak of the events during the time of her kidnapping and never once questioned the rhyme or reason to her falling in love with a pirate. All he really knew was that he needed to be there for his eldest child.

"It's hard to stop," Lydia said. "It's been eight months. You would think I'd be over it by now, but..." she shook her head and took a breath. "Did you feel this way when mother died?"

"Yes," Governor Swann said. "Some days I feel as if it were centuries ago. Other times it feels like I'd just lost her yesterday. It feels like she'll come around the corner to rant to me about some noblewoman or another." Lydia nodded.

"I know what you mean. I can hear his voice in my head sometimes," Lydia said. "Does it get easier?"

"It depends on the day," Governor Swann confessed. He stood up and extended a hand. Lydia took it and rose to her feet. With a smooth motion of her other hand, the stream of seawater receded back into the ocean. "Come now. We have your sister's wedding to prepare for." Lydia smiled a very rare, earnest smile and picked up her shoes. She walked back to the estate with her father, shoes in hand, happy to see that Kitty's dreams were coming true today.

* * *

Kitty stood in her room, looking at her reflection in the mirror. Her childhood bedroom was mostly empty now; most of her belongings had already been moved by her servants to the estate of James Norrington. She wore a gown of cream-colored silk taffeta with a trim of cream-colored lace. She took a breath and watch the rise and fall of her chest. She was getting married in just a few short minutes to Commodore James Norrington.

When the two officially began courting, it sent a ripple of gossip through high society. The focus of the rumor mill shifted from Elizabeth and her leaving the Commodore for a blacksmith to Kitty and Norrington's seemingly sudden relationship. Rumors about when they started to see each other in a romantic light circulated. Theories ranged from long before her sisters were captured by the pirates of Barbossa's crew to as recent as a month after Alice ran off with the _Black Pearl._

But the two had listened to Governor's Swann suggestion to wait at least two months... well, in their case _exactly_ two months. Three months after the official start of their courtship, James Norrington proposed; a proposal that Kitty accepted without any hesitation. Now today, after three months of planning, she was finally getting married to the man she loved. She couldn't remember the last time she smiled this much.

"You look beautiful," Elizabeth said with a smile. Kitty turned around and saw Elizabeth standing there in a gown of blue. Kitty smiled and hugged her sister.

"I always imagined that you or Lydia would be getting married first," Kitty said. "I never once thought it'd be me." Elizabeth pulled back from the hug and smiled. "It all still feels like a dream."

"The two of you were meant for each other," Elizabeth said. "I hope that you have nothing but happiness." Kitty nodded and felt her smile grow larger, if that were even possible. She heard a knock on the door.

"Enter!" Kitty shouted. The door creaked open and two people stepped in. The first was her father, dressed in finery of blue silk. The second was Lydia, her face graced with a very rare smile. In fact, this was probably one of the few times she'd ever seen Lydia smile since the ordeal with the pirates. She was dressed in a lavender gown. "Is it time?" Lydia nodded stepped towards Kitty, taking her hand and squeezing it gently. Kitty took a breath and took her father's arm. Elizabeth and Lydia both left the room, more than likely rushing to get to the site of the ceremony in the gardens of the Swann estate.

"Are you ready?" Governor Swann asked his daughter as he led her out of the bedroom. Kitty took a breath and nodded.

"I am," Kitty said. "Are you?" Governor Swann nodded and smiled.

"I know Commodore Norrington will take care of you," he said. Kitty took a breath and stepped carefully down the stairs of her childhood home. She spent nearly nine years in this home... and now she was going to start a new chapter of her life. A chapter in which she'd live as Kitty Norrington. Within moments they were at the door that led to the gardens. A servant opened the door and Kitty was greeted with the eyes of the many high-society wedding guests. It _was_ a wedding between the daughter of the Governor and a Commodore, after all. Certain members of the upper class were expected to be invited.

Kitty walked down the aisle, the morning sun making the dewdrops on the flowers glisten. She stepped in time with her father, not letting go of his arm until she reached the end, where the priest and her future husband awaited. Kitty couldn't recall a time where Commodore Norrington looked more handsome. Then again, she was almost certain that he would later tell her that she'd never looked more beautiful. The person you love always seems to look more radiant when you're about to marry them.

The priest turned to Kitty and Norrington and cleared his throat, "Dearly beloved, we are gathered together here in the sight of God, and in the face of this congregation, to join together this Man and this Woman in holy Matrimony; which is an honorable estate, instituted of God in the time of man's innocency, signifying unto us the mystical union that is betwixt Christ and his Church; which holy estate Christ adorned and beautified with his presence, and first miracle that he wrought, in Cana of Galilee; and is commended of Saint Paul to be honorable among all men: and therefore is not by any to be enterprised, nor taken in hand, unadvisedly, lightly, or wantonly, to satisfy men's carnal lusts and appetites, like brute beasts that have no understanding; but reverently, discreetly, advisedly, soberly, and in the fear of God; duly considering the causes for which Matrimony was ordained.

"First, It was ordained for the procreation of children, to be brought up in the fear and nurture of the Lord, and to the praise of his holy Name. Secondly, It was ordained for a remedy against sin, and to avoid fornication; that such persons as have not the gift of continency might marry, and keep themselves undefiled members of Christ's body. Thirdly, It was ordained for the mutual society, help, and comfort, that the one ought to have of the other, both in prosperity and adversity. Into which holy estate these two persons present come now to be joined. Therefore if any man can shew any just cause, why they may not lawfully be joined together, let him now speak, or else hereafter for ever hold his peace."

The Priest looked at both Kitty and Norrington before continuing. "I require and charge you both, as ye will answer at the dreadful day of judgment when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed, that if either of you know any impediment, why ye may not be lawfully joined together in Matrimony, ye do now confess it. For be ye well assured, that so many as are coupled together otherwise than God's Word doth allow are not joined together by God; neither is their Matrimony lawful."

For once in her life, Kitty was glad to hear silence. She was glad no one decided to voice any objection as to why she should not marry Commodore Norrington. "Commodore James Norrington, wilt thou have this Woman to thy wedded Wife, to live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of Matrimony? Wilt thou love her, comfort her, honor, and keep her in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all other, keep thee only unto her, so long as ye both shall live?"

"I will," Norrington answered, unable to hide his soft smile. Kitty knew not to expect to see him beaming like a overexcited school girl. He was a guarded man by nature.

"Katherine Ruth Swann, wilt thou have this Man to thy wedded Husband, to live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of Matrimony? Wilt thou obey him, and serve him, love, honor, and keep him in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all other, keep thee only unto him, so long as ye both shall live?" the Priest asked.

"I will," Kitty responded, not wanting to hide the large smile upon her face.

"Who giveth this woman to be married to this man?" the Priest asked.

"I do," Governor Swann said. He let go of his daughter's hand and stepped away from the couple. Norrington took Kitty's right hand into his own right hand.

"Commodore, if you would say your vows," the Priest said. Norrington nodded and looked directly into Kitty's eyes.

"I, James Norrington, take thee, Katherine Swann, to my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part, according to God's holy ordinance; and thereto I plight thee my troth," he said. The Priest looked at Kitty and nodded, motioning for her to do the same.

"I, Katherine Swann, take thee, James Norrington, to my wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, cherish, and to obey, till death us do part, according to God's holy ordinance; and thereto I give thee my troth," Kitty said. The two let go of each other's hands. The Priest handed Norrington a simple golden band which (until now) was lying on top of the _Book of Common Prayer_ that the Priest was reading from. James took the ring and gently lifted Kitty's left hand.

"With this ring, I thee wed," he said, sliding the ring onto her fourth finger. "With my body, I thee worship, and with all my worldly goods, I thee endow. In the name of the Father, and other the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen." The two turned to face the Priest and knelt to the ground. It was almost time. She was almost officially the Commodore's wife.

"Let us pray," the Priest said. Kitty didn't need to look in order to know that everyone else in the garden was bowing their head in prayer. "O Eternal God, Creator and Preserver of all mankind, Giver of all spiritual grace, the Author of everlasting life; Send thy blessing upon these thy servants, this Man and this Woman, whom we bless in thy Name; that, as Isaac and Rebecca lived faithfully together, so these persons may surely perform and keep the vow and covenant betwixt them made, whereof this Ring given and received is a token and pledge, and may ever remain in perfect love and peace together, and live according to thy laws; through Jesus Christ our Lord. _Amen."_

 _"Amen,"_ everyone else echoed. The Priest took the hands of Kitty and Norrington and joined them together.

"Those whom God hath joined together, let no man put asunder," he said. "Forasmuch as James Norrington and Katherine Swann have consented together in holy Wedlock, and have witnessed the same before God and this company, and thereto have given and pledged their troth either to other, and have declared the same by giving and receiving of a Ring, and by joining of hands; I pronounce that they be Man and Wife together, In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. _Amen._ You may now kiss the bride."

Norrington helped Kitty to her feet and promptly kissed her firmly on the lips. It may have been a chaste, proper kiss, but Kitty could practically feel his passion for her pouring through into her very being. She smiled when he pulled away from the kiss, looking up at her husband.

Her _husband._ It felt so good to finally call James Norrington her _husband._ In that moment, where she stood in her husband's arms listening to the sound of polite applause, everything was absolutely perfect.

* * *

Alice laughed loudly as she downed the flagon of rum. "How are you already out-drinking me?" She shrugged as she looked at the dumbstruck and very drunk Jack Sparrow. She shrugged, showing off the tattoo of sharks that circled her left wrist. Since running off with Jack nine months ago, she'd gotten multiple tattoos. The first was a line of five sparrows on the side of her right hand. She also had a black swan on her right shoulder, a wave inside her left elbow, a seashell on her right hip, and (most recently) an octopus on her left side just under her breast.

"I'm a pirate now, love," she said, her speech slurred from the multiple shots of rum. "And I'm not even tipsy yet."

"You wanna bet, Swann?" Jack asked.

"Yeah, I wanna bet!" Alice shouted back. Next to her, a very red-faced Gibbs was laughing at the two.

"Alice, you're definitely a little more than tipsy right now," he said. Alice rolled her eyes and leaned back in her chair.

"Fine," Alice said. "But I bet I can take at least three more shots."

"Three, eh?" Jack asked. "Well then, birthday girl, let's make that an official wager. If you can't take three shots without passing out, you clean the entirety of the deck."

"And if I win and drink you under the table?" Alice asked with a flirtatious smirk. Jack smirked back her and raised his eyes.

"Then I'll pleasure you like you've never been pleasured before," Jack said. "When I'm sober, of course. I want to remember every little sound you make."

"You always do," Alice replied with a laugh. It was no secret to the crew of the _Black Pearl_ that Jack and Alice had consummated their relationship six months prior... apparently Alice was very vocal in the bedroom. "But let's make this more worthwhile. You, me, and whatever one of the girls at the brothel _I_ pick. Provided they'll sleep with a couple, that is."

"You're on!" Jack said, his eyes glowing with lust at a possible night to come. "Gibbs, get us eight shots of rum.'

"Aye, Cap'n," Gibbs said, rushing away from the table to get more drinks. Jack moved closer to Alice and pressed a kiss against her neck.

"So does seventeen feel any different than sixteen?" he asked her. Alice looked down at Jack and shook her head.

"Aside from the fact that this is the first birthday without my sisters, not really," Alice said. "It just feels like another day... but with a hell of a lot more drinking." Jack laughed and pulled Alice closer to him, planting his lips onto hers in a somewhat sloppy, drunken kiss. Regardless, it was still a damned good kiss. Jack's kisses always made her heart race without fail. When he pulled away, Alice was suddenly very conscious of the wolf-whistles and cat-calls that she and Jack were now getting. In front of her and Jack on the table were eight flagons filled with rum.

"Get ready to get beaten, little girl," Jack said as he picked up one of the flagons. Alice smirked and picked up a flagon of her own. The two raised their cups and then chugged the rum. She felt the burn of the alcohol as it ran down her throat, but she didn't mind it in the slightest. She shook her head as she slammed her empty cup down, almost in sync with Jack.

"That's one," Alice said, her words slightly more slurred than before. Her vision blurred slightly more than before. She picked up the next flagon and downed it without thinking.

"Two," Jack said as he finished his cup, his speech slurred more. Was it Alice, or did Jack suddenly have a second head? "Ready for three?" Alice nodded and picked up the flagon. The two downed the cups of rum and slammed the flagons onto the table. That was the last thing Alice remembered before passing out.

Alice woke up in her and Jack's cabin the next morning, her head pounding from her massive hangover. She was still wearing the clothes she had on the previous day. She shook her head and stood up, staggering slightly. She opened the door and winced when the bright sunlight hit her eyes. "Alice! You're up!" she heard Jack shout from above.

"Shit..." she moaned. "I'm never drinking that much again."

"You say that now," Jack said as she climbed the stairs to the bridge. "But knowing you..." Alice rolled her eyes and playfully punched him on the shoulder. "I'll be nice though. You don't have to clean the deck until tomorrow."

"Thanks," Alice mumbled. "God my head is pounding."

"I imagine you're having one hell of a hangover," Jack said with a laugh. Alice sighed and rested her head against Jack's shoulder.

"Where to?" Alice asked.

"Singapore," Jack said with a smile. Alice smiled back and sighed.

"I love you," she whispered as she looked out to the glittering ocean.

"I love you too, Swann," Jack replied, wrapping one arm around Alice in a tight hug. The two stood there for the rest of that day, Jack steering with one hand on the wheel and the other around his beloved Alice.

None of them knew what would come in the months to come.


	29. Dead Man's Chest: Chapter 1

Rain poured down upon Port Royal on a bleak and grey morning. Lydia Swann could do nothing but watch her sister Elizabeth sit outside in the storm, her face blank and full of sorrow. Today was supposed to be her wedding day. Today was supposed to be the day that all of Elizabeth's dreams came to fruition. Yet so far this day was only full of gloom, rain, and sorrow.

"My heart aches for her..." Lydia looked up and saw her sister, Kitty Norrington, standing next to her. Her light blue and gold gown was covered in dark, spotted stains from the rain, much like Lydia's own dress. The raindrop stains dotted the cream and navy floral gown. The two sisters had taken shelter just inside the church, like every other wedding guest. In Kitty's arms was her infant son, James Norrington II. The four-month-old child was more affectionately called 'Little James' amongst the members of the Swann family.

All was not well for Kitty, however. Three months ago, her husband departed Port Royal in search of Jack Sparrow. He had been ordered to hunt for the pirate. He couldn't possibly ignore his duties; it wasn't in the character of James Norrington. The last time any of them had seen him was just before he set sail. when he kissed his wife and new son good-bye. A month later, they had received notice that he resigned his post.

That was it. He never showed his face in Port Royal. All any of them received was a letter. Kitty was distraught. For the last month, she'd been living at the Swann estate with Little James. Lydia did all she could to make sure her sister was well taken care, as well as her nephew. His godfather, Lieutenant Theodore Groves, came by the estate often, wishing to ensure that his godson was well taken care of whilst he searched the Caribbean for the former Commodore Norrington.

"Mine does as well," Lydia replied. "Before you ask me, I still can't do anything with rain. I wish I could, though." Kitty nodded and held Little James closer to her. The infant started to cry, as if he knew something was wrong. Kitty gently rocked her soon, softly whispering comforting words to him.

"He should have been here by now," Kitty said. "This isn't like him."

"I know..." Lydia said, staring blankly at her heartbroken sister. "Something's wrong. I can feel it. Little James can too." Lieutenant Groves suddenly rushed past the two women and approached Elizabeth. Lydia heard him speak muffled words to the bride. Elizabeth dropped her bouquet and turned around, rushing into the church.

"Theodore, what's happened?" Kitty asked as Groves entered the church.

"Turner's been arrested," Groves said. "By the East India Trading Company."

"What!?" Kitty breathed out in shock. Lydia widened her eyes and looked down. Moments later, soldiers wearing the insignia of the East India Trading Company marched forward... surrounding a manacled and grim looking Will Turner. Little James began to wail even louder than before. Kitty rocked her son gently, trying hard (and failing) to hide her look of shock and anguish.

"Will!" Elizabeth shouted. She ran up to her fiancé and placed her hands on his chest. "Why is this happening?"

"I don't know," Will replied. He looked down at Elizabeth and smile softly. "You look beautiful."

"I think it's bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding," Elizabeth said, her voice full of sadness. Lydia ran up to her sister, ignoring the guards that tried to stop her. She placed a hand on her sister's shoulder and looked at Will. She looked over at the side of the church, glaring daggers into the unknown man who was obviously in charge.

"Make way! Let me through!" Governor Swann shouted as he forced his way through the shocked wedding guests. Two of the guards barred his way by crossing their spears. She looked at her father, who stood there appalled. Kitty held her crying son to chest, unable to comprehend the scene. "How dare you! Stand your men down at once! Do you hear me?"

"Who do you think you are?" Lydia growled, glaring at the mysterious man. He turned around, a smirk gracing his face as one of his men took off his coat. She widened her eyes in shock and dropped her jaw.

There in front of her stood Cutler Beckett.

"Governor Weatherby Swann, it's been too long," he said, striding towards Elizabeth and Will almost arrogantly. He looked at Lydia and smirked. "And Lydia. I didn't think it was possible for you to grow lovelier." Her face was stony and cold. There was a time when she had cared for this man... but much had changed over the last eight years in that regard. Particularly now, when he was arresting her sister's fiancé.

"Cutler Becket?" Governor Swann asked, clearly shocked.

"It's Lord, now, actually," Beckett said. He motioned for the guards to let Governor Swann through. Kitty followed her father, Little James now a great deal quieter than before.

"Lord or not, you have no reason and no authority to arrest this man," Governor Swann said as he stepped towards his daughters.

"In fact, I do," Beckett said, still smirking arrogantly. "Mr. Mercer..." Another man appeared next to Lord Beckett and swiftly opened up a leather folder filled with papers. "The warrant for the arrest of one William Turner." He handed the document to Governor Swann, who observed it with shock in his eyes.

"This warrant is for Elizabeth Swann!" he shouted.

"What!?" Lydia gasped as she stormed over to her father. She looked at the paper in awe and looked back at her sister.

"Oh, is it?" Becket asked dismissively. "That's annoying, my mistake…" he took the paper back and motioned towards Elizabeth almost carelessly. "Arrest her."

"On what charges?" Elizabeth demanded as the soldiers grabbed her. Beckett rifled through the documents in the folder until he found the one he wanted.

"Ah ha!" he said, pulling out a document. "Here's the one for William Turner." Governor Swann took the paper and stared at it in a mix of horror and disbelief. Lydia could scarcely believe what was happening right now."And I have another one for a Mr. James Norrington. Is he present?" Kitty gasped and held Little James closer to her breast.

"My husband resigned his commission two months ago," she said.

"What are the charges!?" Elizabeth demanded as she was manacled.

"I don't believe that was the answer to the question I asked, Mrs. Norrington," Beckett said.

"Lord Beckett," Will said, his face clearly lined with anger. "In the category of questions not answered-"

"We are under the jurisdiction of the King's governor of Port Royal and you will tell us what we are charged with," Elizabeth spat.

"The charge," Governor Swann started, reading off the warrant, "is conspiring to set free a man convicted of crimes against the Crown and Empire and condemned to death for which the…" he trailed off, staring blankly at the warrant in shock.

"For which the punishment is, regrettably, also death," Beckett said, his face showing no signs of pity or apology.

"No!" Lydia breathed out. Becket took a step closer to Will and smirked.

"Perhaps you remember a certain pirate named Jack Sparrow?" he asked.

"Captain!" Will and Elizabeth snapped.

" _Captain_ Jack Sparrow," Elizabeth said. Beckett's smirk grew and he let out a faint chuckle.

"Captain Jack Sparrow," he said slowly and mockingly. "Yes, I thought you might." He looked up at the guards and took the warrant from Governor Swann's hands. "Especially considering that your own sister ran off with him, Miss Swann. The two them have been creating quite the ruckus in the Caribbean... a disturbance that I shall soon rectify. Take them away." The soldiers took Elizabeth and Will rather forcefully by the arms and paraded them out of the church, into the pouring rain. Lydia stepped towards Beckett, her jaw tensed and her eyes dark and furious.

"You have no right!" she spat.

"Dear Lydia," Beckett said, still smirking. "I think you'll find that I do. Not only do I have the right to arrest your sister and her fiancé, but it's my duty as well. As a loyal servant of the Crown, I have no choice but arrest them." She shook her head and took a deep breath. He took her chin in his hand and turned her gaze upwards. "My words to you were true, by the way. You have grown so much lovelier in these past eight years." Lydia stayed silent, glaring daggers into Lord Beckett. He let go of her chin and strode out of the church, Mr. Mercer close behind him.

Kitty shook her head and rocked her son in her arms. "I can't believe you ever wanted to marry that man," she muttered venomously.

"I can't believe I did either," Lydia replied with a dark snicker. "I must have been quite the fool back then." She shook her head and looked up at Kitty. "Father and I will do what we can."

"I will do what I can as well," Kitty said. "He can't get away with this. I won't let him take my sisters or my husband." Lydia nodded and watched as Beckett and his men slowly disappeared into the grey mist of the rain in the distance. The East India Trading Company was taking over Port Royal... an act that wouldn't suit anyone there, especially not the Swanns.

* * *

Alice Swann was not happy.

Jack's plan wasn't going according to... well, plan. He was supposed to be out of that Turkish prison almost an hour ago. The eighteen-year-old girl leaned against the main mast and shook her head. She loved Jack dearly, but sometimes she wished she could wring his scrawny little neck or choke him with his beloved dreadlocks. Then again, after two years of sailing with the _Black Pearl_ , she shouldn't have been so shocked. Nine times out of ten, Jack's plans never worked out the way they were supposed to.

"50 men on a dead man's chest," a gravelly voice sang. Alice turned her head and saw Gibbs staggering towards her, obviously drunk as usual. "Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum. Drink and the devil had done for rest. Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum." He took a swing from his bottle and laughed. A gong sounded and Gibbs seemed to pause. Alice looked up and saw a flock of crows circling, squawking as if they knew what the sound of that gong meant for them.

"Come on, Jack," Alice muttered to herself. "Where are you?" The gong sounded another two times and the cries of the crows grew louder. There was silence in the air for many minutes once the crows finally died down. She let out an annoyed huff and looked at Gibbs.

"Why is it that his plans never work out right?" Alice asked. "He knows it gives me a heart attack when he's late like this..."

"I thought you'd be used to by now, Al," Gibbs said with a laugh. Alice rolled her eyes and started into the gloomy fog. Suddenly she heard a gunshot in the distance. She knew the sound of that pistol anywhere.

"Well at least he's out of that horrid place," she muttered. "Gibbs, rouse the crew. Jack's on his way." Gibbs nodded and stumbled below deck. Since she had been aboard the _Black Pearl_ , she had become an almost unofficial Second Mate to Jack. When it came to all of Jack's crazy plans, the only people that he truly trusted were her and Gibbs.

It wasn't much longer after that gunshot was heard that she saw Jack approaching the ship. He was apparently returning back to the _Pearl_ in a casket. Not the way Alice would have liked for him to come back, but at least he was alive in the casket rather than dead. When Gibbs returned to the deck, he rushed towards the ladder. He extended a hand out for Jack, but was instead given the leg bones of the skeleton Jack was sharing a casket with.

"I'm going to murder you for making me worry like this one day," Alice grumbled as Jack climbed aboard the ship. Jack gave her a swift kiss on the lips and shrugged. "At least you and Phyllis are alright..." About a week into her life as a pirate, Alice had taken to calling Jack's favored hat 'Phyllis.' She wasn't sure why she chose that name, but it stuck. Even Jack was calling the hat Phyllis now.

"Not quite according to plan," Gibbs said looking at the leg in disgust. Cotton approached Jack and draped his coat on his shoulders.

"Complications arose, ensued, were overcome," Jack said as he made his way towards the helm.

"You got what you went in for then?" Gibbs asked. Jack nodded and held up a grimy piece of cloth in his head. Alice grimaced, knowing the crew wasn't going to be too happy about that. The next moment, Jack came face to face with a very, very disgruntled looking crew. "Captain, I think the Crew– meaning me, as well– were expecting something a bit more... uh... shiny. What with the Isla de Muerta going all pear-shapes, reclaimed by the sea and the treasure with it."

"And the Royal Navy chasing us all around the Atlantic," another pirate named Leech said.

"And the hurricane!" Marty added. There were murmurs of agreement amongst the crew... murmurs Alice didn't join in with. She was there for one reason; Jack. So long as they were romantically involved, Alice was with him until the end. She shook her head and sighed.

"All in all, it seems some time since we did a speck of honest pirating," Gibbs said with an uncertain smile. Jack looked around the crew with a critical eye. He looked at Alice and arched an eyebrow. She put her hands up defensively and shrugged.

"Don't look at me," Alice said. "I'm just here for the adventuring and the sex." Jack let out a brief smile before turning back to the crew.

"Shiny?" Jack asked.

"Aye," Gibbs said. "Shiny."

"Is that how you're all feeling, then? Perhaps dear ol' Jack is not serving your best interests as Captain?" Jack asked.

"AWK! Walk the plank!" Cotton's parrot shouted. Cotton quickly closed his hand over the bird's mouth. Both Jack and Alice pulled out their pistols and aimed it at the bird.

"What did the bird say?" Jack demanded.

"He better not have said what I think he said or I swear to God I'll shoot him," Alice growled.

"Do not blame the bird," Leech said. He looked down at the piece of cloth in Jacks hand. "Show us what is on that piece of cloth there." Jack looked down at cloth briefly. Suddenly, Barbossa's old monkey appeared. The undead monkey looked like it was decaying and screeched loudly in Jack's face. Jack screamed and shot the monkey in the face. It ran off, taking the piece of cloth with it. Alice rolled her eyes and shot the monkey in the head, knocking it over before it could get far. It dropped the piece of cloth as it rolled on the ground.

"You know that don't do no good," Gibbs said.

"It does me," Jack said.

"I still say we should have taken it to Port Royal and given it to Lydia," Alice said. "If anything, the monkey would cooperate for her." Jack shrugged and watched as Marty picked up the piece of cloth. He unrolled it and observed the image drawn on it.

"It's a key," Marty said.

"No," Jack said. "Much more better! It is a drawing of a key." Alice stepped closer to the image and observed it as closely as she possibly could. The key appeared to have two prongs, as if it opened two locks at once. It was hard to tell details based on the fairly faded and grimy drawing. The rest of the crew seemed confused as to why this drawing of a key was such a good thing. "Gentlemen, what do keys do?"

"Keys unlock things?" Leech guessed. Alice rolled her eyes and rubbed her temple. How was it they got anything done on this ship?

"And whatever this key unlocks, inside there's something valuable. So, we're setting out to find whatever this key unlocks!" Gibbs said.

"Obviously not," Alice said. Gibbs looked confused and Jack rolled his eyes.

"We don't have the key, we can't open whatever it is we don't have that it unlocks," Jack explained. "So, what purpose would be served in finding whatever need be unlocked, which we don't have, without first having found the key what unlocks it?"

"So we're going after this key!" Gibbs said.

"You're not making any sense at all," Jack said. Alice groaned and took the flask of rum off of her belt and down the entire thing. Some of the crew stared at her wide-eyed. The newer member still couldn't believe that she could handle her liquor as well as she could. "Any more questions?"

"Yeah," Alice said. "Can I borrow your rum?" Jack rolled his eyes, but ultimately tossed his flask to Alice. She was the only person he ever shared his rum with. She drank a good half of whatever remained in the flask before shaking her head.

"So do we have a heading?" Marty asked. Jack opened his mouth in realization and pulled out his compass.

"Ah, a heading," Jack said. He looked down at the compass. "Set sail in a general... uh..." he spun his finger around in circle as he watched the needle swing around without stopping. Alice bit her lower lip as she watched the compass. Soon after the two of them had made love for the first time, he confided in her the nature of his compass. It pointed to whatever he wanted most. It never really pointed to Alice anymore (unless Jack was extremely horny) because, in his words, 'I've already got you.' She stepped a little bit away from Jack, hoping her distance would help the compass settle into a direction. "That way direction," he finally said, pointing to his left.

"Captain?" Gibbs asked.

"Come on. Snap to and make sail, you know how this works. Oi, oi!" Jack said as he walked back to his cabin. "Alice? You coming?"

"In a second," Alice said. Jack nodded and entered their cabin, shutting the door behind him. He was more than likely going to try and plot their course.

"I've noticed lately, the captain seems to be acting a bit strange..." Marty said. As an afterthought, he added, "..er."

"Setting sail without knowing his own head, something's got Jack vexed," Gibbs said. "You mark my words, what bodes ill for Jack Sparrow, bodes ill for us all." Gibbs looked at Alice hopefully. "You'll talk to him, won't you? Figure out what's got him acting like this?"

"I'll try to," Alice said. "We don't always listen to each other." Gibbs nodded and Alice walked towards the cabin doors. She opened them up and saw Jack pacing about the cabin.

"You alright, love?" Alice asked, shutting the doors behind her.

"I'm perfect," he said, immediately taking her by the waist and kissing her. She moaned into the kiss and felt Jack start to remove her coat and unlace her corset. She smirked as she fell down to their bed, knowing that it definitely was her that caused the compass to act so strange. At least they were going to rectify that now.


	30. Dead Man's Chest: Chapter 2

Jack sat at his desk, the light from the candles barely illuminating the map in front of him and his compass. He tapped the compass, which was apparently refusing to cooperate with him tonight. Every so often, it would flicker in the direction of a certain young woman who was currently lying naked under the covers of his bed.

Like it was doing now.

He turned around and looked at Alice's sleeping form. Her blonde hair was spread across the pillow, her arms splayed outward at angles that probably shouldn't have been comfortable. He let out a soft smile as she turned around, wrapping more of the covers around her. Even in the dim lighting, Jack could see the tribal, Polynesian tattoos on her right leg and the tattoo on her left foot of henna that was done when they went to India. Alice liked the design so much that she decided to make it permanent. He could even seen the tiny sun and moon tattoos on the backs of her heels. At this rate, she was likely to have more tattoos than him.

He shook his head and turned back to the map, his desire to look at Alice apparently satiated now. Suddenly the needle pointed in a very different direction; towards the empty bottle of rum on the table. He sighed and shook his head. He picked up the bottle, noticing that it felt considerably lighter than before. He tipped it over, letting the last few drops fall out of the bottle. He sighed and said, "Why is the rum always gone?" He stood up and immediately staggered, gripping the table to keep his balance. "That's why," Jack said, taking his hat and his coat. He pressed a kiss to Alice's temple before leaving the cabin.

He grabbed the closest lantern as he shut the cabin doors. He descended below the deck, clearly not heard by any of the snoring pirates. "As you were gents," he said as he made his way into the holds. He unlocked the rum stores and entered the room, only to find that it was almost completely empty. He frowned and let out a low growl. _Damn it_ , he thought to himself. He came across an empty hole that looked as if it were filled with unnaturally alive clams and barnacles. Perhaps he was more drunk than he thought he was.

Jack looked down and saw one last bottle. Victory at last! He picked it up, only to see a load of sand slowly fall out of the bottle. He frowned, knowing that they'd need to make a stop soon in order to get more rum. The ship could hardly function without rum.

"Times run out, Jack," a gravelly voice suddenly said.

Jack dropped the empty bottle, eliciting a loud smashing sound. He stared in horror in the direction of that voice, holding the lantern higher. He knew that voice. He was almost certain he knew that voice. But... but he was dead, wasn't he? He crept closer to the source of the sound, seeing a humanoid figure sitting on one of the barrels in the darkened corner. He was sitting there, dripping wet, looking more sea creature than man. "Bootstrap?" Jack whispered in the darkness, unable to believe what he was seeing. "Bootstrap Bill Turner?

Bootstrap Bill looked up, several bugs crawling around his face. Half his face seemed to have merged with a starfish and several barnacles and clams. "You look good, Jack," Bootstrap Bill said, seawater falling from his mouth. Jack was unable to move. A man who was long dead now stood before him.

"Is this a dream?" Jack asked, furrowing his brow in confusion.

"No," Bootstrap said, shaking his head.

"I thought not," Jack said. "If this were a dream there'd be rum and-" Jack was interrupted when Bootstrap suddenly held out a bottle of rum. Jack inspected the bottle carefully before taking it. He hung up his lantern and sat down on the nearest barrel, rum in hand. "And Alice would be here."

"So you finally found a girl?" Bootstrap asked. "Pity." Jack arched an eyebrow as Bootstrap looked around. What was Bootstrap talking about? "You got the _Pearl_ back I see."

"Yeah," Jack said, sitting down, blowing the dust off the bottle of rum. "I had some help retrieving the Pearl, by the way. My girl... and your son."

"William?" Bootstrap asked. He let out a grim smile and shook his head. Jack took a long swig of the rum as Bootstrap said, "He ended up pirate after all."

"And to what do I owe the pleasure of your carbuncle?" Jack asked.

"He sent me," Bootstrap said. "Davy Jones."

"Oh," Jack said, taking another drink of the rum. Not even the taste of rum could rectify this situation. "So it's you, then. He shanghaied you into service, eh?"

"I chose it," Bootstrap said. "I'm sorry for the part I played in the mutiny against you, Jack." A small crab scuttled out of Bootstrap's sleeve. He responded to the guest by picking it up and eating it. "I stood up for you. Everything went wrong after that. They strapped me to a cannon, I ended up on the bottom of the ocean, the weight of the water crushing down on me. Unable to move, unable to die, Jack, and I thought that even the tiniest hope of escaping this fate, I would take it. I would trade anything for it." Jack could only sit there, staring in disgust as Bootstrap ate the crab. Every crunch made Jack feel more and more queasy. Jack handed the bottle of rum back to Bootstrap, who took a long drink from it.

"It's funny what a man Will do to forestall his final judgment," Jack said, standing up.

"You made a deal with him, too, Jack," Bootstrap said, suddenly appearing right in front of Jack. He could smell rum and fish on his breath. "He raised the Pearl from the depths for you, thirteen years you've been Captain."

"Technically, I-"

"Jack. Won't be able to talk yourself out of this. The terms would apply to me, apply to you, as well. One soul, bound to Crew a hundred years upon his ship," Bootstrap said.

"Yes, but the _Flying Dutchman_ already has a Captain, so there's really-"

"Then it's the Locker for you!" Bootstrap shouted. "Though this is terrible, the leviathan will find you and drag the Pearl back to the depths and you along with it." Jack felt a shiver as cold as ice race down his spine. This was bad... very bad.

"Any idea when Jones will release said terrible beastie?" Jack asked.

"I already told you, Jack. The time is up." Bootstrap took Jack's hand and touched the center of his palm. "It comes now. Drawn with ravenous hunger for the man what bears the black spot." As Bootstrap walked away, Jack looked down in horror to see a large, ugly black spot growing in the center of his palm. This was definitely very, very bad.

" On deck! All hands!" Jack shouted as he rushed through the stores. "Lift the skin up, make fast the bundt gasket! Keep your loof! Have care of the lee hatch! Scurry! Movement, I want movement!" The crew woke up and rushed to get clothes on as Jack ran through the bunks screaming. He ran up to the deck and shouted, "Haul those sheets! Haul 'em! Run as if the devil himself and itself was upon us!" Jack picked up the nearest strip of cloth (which happened to be on one of the crew) and wrapped it around his hand.

"Do we have a heading?" Jack let out a yelp and turned around to see Gibbs.

"Rum! Land!" Jack shouted. He ducked down to hide, hoping Gibbs had left. When he looked up, Gibbs was still there.

"Which port?" Gibbs asked.

"I didn't say port!" Jack snapped. "I said land! Any land!"

"Jack!" He turned around and watched as a messy looking Alice ran out of the cabin. She bent down in front of Jack, taking his hands into her own. "Jack, what's wrong? What is it? Why the ruckus?" she asked.

"No reason," Jack said. _Please don't question any further, Alice..._ he thought to himself. He knew that he wasn't going to fool her. She knew him far too well. To his relief, Alice didn't ask anything else. She simply nodded and rushed off to her post. Suddenly the stupid, undead monkey popped out and grabbed Jack's hat. The monkey hissed and Jack responded by hissing back. The monkey then proceed to throw Jack's favored hat into the water.

"Phyllis!" Alice shouted.

"Jack's hat!" Gibbs shouted. "Steer about!"

"No, no, leave it!" Jack shouted. Alice narrowed her eyes at Jack and the rest of the crew looked at Jack in disbelief. Jack bit his lower lip and shook his head. "Rum." He rushed off again, this time hiding beneath the stairs to the bridge.

"Back to your stations, the lot of ya!" Gibbs shouted. He heard footsteps approach and saw Alice slide under the stairs with him. Gibbs crouched down next to Jack as well.

"Jack, love, something is definitely wrong," Alice said, her voice low and serious. "You left behind Phyllis. You would never leave her behind unless it were serious.

"Jack! For the love of Mother and Child, what's coming after us?" Gibbs asked in a serious whisper.

"Nothing," Jack said. Alice narrowed her eyes and moved closer to Jack. She lightly rubbed her hand on his shoulder, comforting him even though she didn't know why he was so anxious and afraid. That was part of what he loved about Alice; she rarely questioned anything until she absolutely needed to know. He had a feeling that the next time they were alone she would demand explanations... explanations Jack knew he couldn't give her. Not without giving her cause to be afraid and possibly do something stupid. He wouldn't allow Alice to throw her life away so carelessly. Never.

* * *

_A creature was lurking in the shadows of the depths of the ocean. Large tentacles slithered in the seawater, only visible when a rare beam of sunlight hit it. The creature resembled an abnormally large octopus... large enough to take down a warship. She didn't know how she knew... she just did. "The Black Spot..." she heard a low, sickening voice rasp. "Find the man with the Black Spot." She heard a loud deafening roar in her ears and smelled the worst stench she could have ever remembered smelling..._

Lydia woke up with a scream. She was sweating and breathing heavily, her eyes darting from side to side. She let out another whimper as the dark images of that creature filled her head. It was so horrifying... she could never remember seeing a creature such as that. She never wanted to encounter a creature such as that.

Another loud cry rang through the air, though this was the cry of a baby. Lydia shook her head and ran a hand through her hair, knowing she woke up Little James. The door suddenly opened and Kitty rushed into the room. "Father has Little James," Kitty said as she rushed to her sister's side. She wrapped her arms around Lydia. "My God, Lyddie. You're shaking... you're so cold... did you dream of him again?"

"No," Lydia said. "It wasn't him. It was something else... something completely different..." Lydia shook her head and looked up into the brown eyes of her sister. "I saw a monster. A monster of the sea. It's searching for someone; someone with a black spot. I-It felt so real. I don't know if it's real or not."

"What does your instinct tell you?" Kitty asked. Lydia paused and tried to calm her breathing and give herself a clearer head. She closed her eyes and focused on the rise and fall of her chest. In and out. In and out. Breathing like the tide. Rising and falling... rising and falling... When she finally calmed her racing mind, she focused on what her intuition was telling her.

"It's real," Lydia finally said after a few minutes. "Whatever that thing is, it's real and it's hunting someone. The sea isn't safe right now. Not for anyone."

"We need to warn someone," Kitty said.

"Who would believe me?" Lydia asked. "Warnings are fruitless right now. All we can do is pray that this thing finds what it's hunting as soon as possible and pray that Alice and Jack remain safe." Kitty softly nodded her head and hugged her sister tightly. "Go take care of your son. I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?" Kitty asked. Lydia nodded and ran a hand through her hair again.

"Yes, I'm sure," Lydia said. "Besides, it's nearly dawn. I would have been awake soon anyway." Kitty let out a faint laugh and stood up. "Tell Father I'll get ready for breakfast. It won't take long." Kitty nodded and left the room, shutting the door gently behind her. Lydia got up and walked to her window, staring blankly outside as the run slowly rose over Port Royal. She would need to go to her cove today and pray that some dolphins or fish were around. She needed to know what was going on the heads of other sea creatures. She needed to know if they knew more about the creature she saw in her dreams.


	31. Dead Man's Chest: Chapter 3

Kitty woke up to the sound of Lydia's screams every night for the last two weeks. Which, of course, woke up Little James and caused him to wail loudly as well. Kitty would comfort Little James as she rushed over to Lydia's room, ready to soothe the frightened woman. It was always the same dream... the same dream with the same monster that Lydia seemed to know was real.

Lydia had told Kitty of the last few times she went to her secret cove. Something had many of the creatures of the sea spooked. According to her, the dolphins often clicked warnings of the monster to each other. Every message was the same. _"Monster is loose. Monster hunts for the Black Spot. Avoid the one marked with the Black Spot."_ Kitty could scarcely imagine what sort of creature kept appearing in Lydia's dreams... but if it scared her this much, she certainly never wanted to encounter it.

She certainly never wanted Alice or Jack to encounter it either.

It was the middle of the day right now. Kitty was walking about the house in a simple red, floral dress carrying Little James around. The baby would point at some object or another and coo as if he were trying to produce coherent words. Lydia was taking a nap, as she had been able to sleep very little these past few weeks. Ever since the East India Trading Company took over Port Royal, nothing was going right. She gently rocked her baby, trying to bring her mind to other subjects. Right now the most important things were her sisters and her child.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Kitty arched an eyebrow and opened the front door with her free arm. She dropped her jaw in shock when she saw Will Turner standing there, still in his wedding attire. "Will?" she asked. "Are you alright? How are you free? Is Elizabeth with you?"

"I'm fine, I'm not really free yet, and no she isn't," Will said. He entered the house and looked around. "Where's your father and Lydia?"

"Father's in his office," Kitty said. "Lydia's sleeping. She's woken up with nightmares every night for the past two weeks." Will tilted his head in a mix of concern and curiosity. "She'll explain later. Find my father. I'll wake up Lydia." Will nodded and rushed off in the direction of her father's study. A few seconds later, one of the East India Trading Company soldiers appeared in the house and followed Will. Kitty supposed that must have been what Will meant by 'not really free yet.'

Kitty rushed up the stairs and entered her own bedroom, putting Little James into his cradle. She gently wrapped him in his blankets and watched as the infant looked up at his mother with his big, blue eyes. She pressed a kiss to his forehead before rushing out of the room. She opened the door to Lydia's room. Lydia was already dressed in a simple light blue dress. She was laying on her bed, clearly in a deep sleep. At least she was actually able to sleep for once. Kitty almost hated to wake her, but she needed to be woken for whatever it was Will came here to tell them.

Kitty sat down on the edge of Lydia's bed and gently shook her sister. "Lyddie, Lyddie," Kitty whispered. Lydia stirred a little, letting out a faint groan. "Lyddie, you need to wake up." Lydia finally opened her grey eyes and rubbed them. She shook her head and sat up, staring at Kitty with concern.

"What is it?" Lydia asked.

"Will's here," Kitty said. Lydia straightened up and practically leapt out of bed.

"Will?" Lydia asked. Kitty nodded. "He can't have been freed. It's not in Beckett's nature to just randomly free a man. What does this mean for Elizabeth?"

"I don't know," Kitty admitted. "He's with Father in the study right now. A guard followed him." Lydia nodded and swiftly left the room, her footsteps echoing down the hallway. Kitty rushed after her, following her to the study. The door was already opened and the guard stood just inside the doorway. A concerned and almost pensive looking Governor Swann sat at his desk, his hands together and resting on his chin. Will was standing, shifting his weight anxiously between his feet.

"What's happened, Will?" Lydia asked. "What it is that Lord Beckett wants of you?"

"He wants Will to seek out Jack Sparrow and collect his compass," Governor Swann said. "He has promised pardons for Elizabeth and Will in exchange. Lord Beckett has also promised to employ Jack as a privateer." Lydia looked down and tensed her jaw.

"Jack will never do that," Lydia said. "He values his own freedom too much. Not to mention that I doubt Lord Beckett will keep his word. He's a very cunning man."

"Any word on if the charges against my husband would be dropped as well?" Kitty asked. She knew it was more than selfish of her to ask this, but she had to know. Will frowned and shook his head. Kitty sighed and shrugged. She shouldn't have expected such a deal to be made for her husband. It would almost have been too much of Will to ask.

"I'll supply you with some clean clothes and some coin to use for travel," Governor Swann said. "But I'm afraid that is all I can do for you."

"There's one other thing you can do, Father," Lydia said. Governor Swann arched an eyebrow and stood up. "You're still Governor. You can still allow Will to see Elizabeth before he sets of on this venture. She at least deserves to know what it is Will is trying to accomplish."

"Lydia has a point," Kitty added. She looked down and took a breath. She was about to make a very, very Alice-like decision. Would she get scolded by her family? Most certainly. Yet something deep within her was telling her that she needed to do this. "I'm going with you Will."

"Kitty!" Governor Swann shouted.

"Kitty, I can't-" Will started, but Kitty held up a hand and cut him off.

"I have to," she said. She took a breath and said, "If you're going out there to search for Jack, then maybe there's a chance I can find James. Think of what you would do if you were in my position. Would you tell me you'd do any differently?"

"If I had my way, neither of you would be going out there!" Lydia snapped. "You don't know what's out there! Something is loose in the sea. Something that every creature is fearing. Something that's been haunting my dreams every night for the past two weeks." Will was silent and lowered his head. Kitty knew that Will was smart enough to heed Lydia's warnings. "The sea isn't safe for anyone right now. There is every possibility that the two of you could die because of this monster."

"I understand that, Lydia," Will said. "But think of the monster that's sitting in Fort Charles right now, threatening the lives of Elizabeth, James, and I. If I must risk facing that creature you keep seeing, then I'll gladly risk it to save Elizabeth. It's obvious Kitty feels the same way in regards to finding her husband." Kitty nodded and looked at her shocked and horrified father. He paced in front of his desk and sighed, shaking his head.

"There will be no persuading you otherwise?" Lydia asked. Kitty shook her head. She had already made up her mind on this matter. "What of Little James? His father is already missing and now his mother leaves him as well?"

Kitty looked down, the feeling of guilt gnawing its way up her chest. The maternal instinct in her screamed at her to not leave her son for even a moment. Yet her head and her heart told her that the only way to find her husband was to go with Will. She had to listen to that part of herself for once in her life. She would never forgive herself otherwise. Besides, she had a very strong feeling that she would see her son grow up. She knew she had to go find James. She looked at her father, trying to prevent any tears from escaping her brown eyes.

"Father, I know you will take good care of my son," Kitty said. "Please understand. I have to do this. I have to find James. Something inside me is telling me that this is the only way to find him and save him from the gallows." Governor Swann was silent for many moments before looking up at Will.

"You've vowed to keep one of my daughters safe for the rest of her life," Governor Swann said. "I need you to promise the same for Kitty. Keep her safe as she journeys with you. I can see that there is no persuading her against what she's already decided." Lydia shook her head and tensed her jaw.

"I see that even the two people who would believe me will not heed my warnings," Lydia said, her voice low. "If you are so eager to throw your own lives away, then I won't stop you." She stormed out of the study, slamming the door behind her. The three people that remained in the study stared at the closed doors in shock. In all of Kitty's years, she'd never known her older sister to act like this. A tense silence hung in the air.

"Whatever she's been seeing must really be scaring her," Will finally said after many minutes of silence. "I've never known her to act in such a way."

"I agree," Kitty said. "I suppose that means we must be careful while at sea. In time, she'll see that we must search the seas for my husband and Jack." She walked towards the doors of the study and opened them up, at once greeted to the sight of the guard standing there. "I'll talk to Lydia. Father, could you find any male clothing I could wear? I doubt that dresses will be suitable for the venture we're going to embark on."

"Of course," Governor Swann said. Kitty nodded and left the study, closing the door behind her. She ran up the stairs and began to look in the opened doors of empty rooms upstairs. It took a good few minutes, but she finally found Lydia in Kitty's room. Lydia sat in a wood chair in front of Little James's cradle, speaking soft words to the little baby.

"There you are," Kitty said as she pulled up another wooden chair. Lydia's jaw tensed up and she made no eye contact with Kitty.

"I can understand why you want to go with Will," she said, getting right to the subject that she knew Kitty was going to speak to her about. She certainly wasted no time then… Lydia finally looked up at Kitty and said, "But that doesn't mean I condone it."

"Lydia-"

"I know," she said. "You feel that you must. You both feel that you have to search for Sparrow and get him to agree to the impossible. That doesn't mean I have to like it. I mean, one sister's a pirate, the other's in prison, and now my only remaining sister is going to traipse about the Caribbean search for a man who will more than likely not accept the terms Will gives him. Not to mention there's a monster hunting someone out there that could very well kill both of you." Lydia took a breath and ran a hand through her hair.

"Whatever that creature you see is, Will and I can avoid it," Kitty said.

"You haven't seen it," Lydia said, her voice low and dark. "You haven't experienced it as I have. You two have no idea of the danger that awaits in the sea. It won't rest until it's completed its task."

"Then we'll avoid whoever its hunting. You said something about a man with a black spot?" Kitty asked. Lydia nodded, lightly stroking Little James's small tufts of brown hair. "Will and I will come back alive. He'll come back with Jack and his compass. I'll come back with my husband. Don't fear for us."

"It's hard for someone to not fear for her younger sisters," Lydia said with a ghost of a smile. "I suppose I'll give you some time with your son before you leave. Father and I will do all was can for him." Kitty smiled and hugged her sister tightly.

"Thank you, Lyddie," Kitty murmured. Lydia was the first to break the hug. She stood up and left the room, shutting the door quietly behind her. Kitty looked down at Little James, finally allowing the few tears she'd been holding back to escape. The maternal side of her hated to leave her son… but she knew that she needed to go search for her husband.

She knew she needed to bring James Norrington home.


	32. Dead Man's Chest: Chapter 4

Lydia watched as Kitty came out of her bedroom, dressed in men's clothing and ready for travel. Instead of the dresses that Kitty usually favored, she was now dressed in a simple white shirt and brown trousers. She wore brown boots that were definitely too large for her small feet and a brown vest, held secure by a brown belt. Her hair was completely down, unrestrained by its usual style. Lydia raised her eyebrows, impressed with how natural Kitty looked in men's attire. "It's strange, wearing pants for once," Kitty said. "My clothes feel lighter."

"Well, our skirts aren't exactly light," Lydia said with a faint laugh. She still wasn't happy with the idea of Kitty going to sea with Will. Every moment she thought about her sister out there, images from her nightmares immediate came to mind. That monster… she couldn't think about it right now. Not while Kitty was relying on her for strength and support. "If you're truly set on going out there, then I wish you the best of luck. I'll do what I can for the two of you. I can't control all of the sea, but I'll keep the waters calm around Port Royal if I can."

"Thank you," Kitty said, taking her sister's hands. "I'm trusting you and father to take care of Little James. I could never forgive myself if anything happened to him while I was away."

"But if you don't go, you'll never forgive yourself for not searching for James when you had the chance," Lydia said. Kitty let out a faint smile and nodded. "Come on. Will's waiting." Kitty nodded and let go of Lydia's hands. Lydia followed her sister down the stairs of the Swann estate, the skirts of her light blue gown brushing against the wooden steps. Governor Swann widened his eyes at the sight of his third daughter wearing trousers, but said nothing. Will furrowed his brow as well. Clearly neither of them could have ever imagined Kitty wearing men's clothing.

The four of them piled into the Governor's carriage and set off for Fort Charles. Lydia couldn't stop twiddling her fingers the entire ride there. She couldn't shake the feeling that they were all in danger… Over the last two years, Lydia had learned to trust her intuition. She discovered that her gut feeling was rarely wrong. Maybe it had something to do with her being a Nereid, maybe it didn't. All she knew is that she often felt she knew what was going to happen before it did. She had a very strong feeling that Will and Kitty would encounter the beast that kept haunting her dreams.

Lydia didn't realize they had gotten to Fort Charles until her father gently touched her shoulder. She stood up and got out of the carriage. She followed her father, Will, and Kitty to the cells below the fort. Lydia couldn't help but pity her younger sister. Elizabeth was a prisoner for the second time in her life; though instead of being kidnapped by pirates, she was being guarded by the very men that were supposed to make her feel safe. How was it that things could change so fast so quickly?

When they reached the cells, Will immediately rushed to where Elizabeth was being kept. The guard rolled his eyes and said, "You're not… you can't be here."

"I think you'll find he can," Governor Swann said stiffly. Lydia arched an eyebrow and smirked.

"Mr. Swann-" the guard started.

"Governor," Lydia snapped. "I think you'll find that my father is still Governor."

"Do you think I wear this wig to keep my head warm?" Governor Swann asked. Kitty leaned against the wall and watched as Will and Elizabeth spoke.

"Jack's compass?" Elizabeth asked, her brow furrowed in confusion. "What would Beckett want with that?"

"Doesn't matter," Will said. "I'm to find Jack and convince him to return to Port Royal and in exchange the charges against us will be dropped."

"No, we must find our own avenue to secure your freedom," Governor Swann said. Lydia turned to her father with a furrowed brow.

"Is that a lack of faith in Jack or in me?" Will asked, his tone steely and cold.

"That you would risk your life to save Sparrow's does not mean that he would do the same for anyone else," Governor Swann said. "Now, where's that dog with the keys?" He turned around and started searching for the dog, whistling as he did so.

"I have faith in you, both of you," Elizabeth said. She finally looked up and saw Kitty, widening her eyes in shock. "Kitty?"

"I'm going with him," Kitty said. "Though my mission differs. I need to find James. Lydia said she'd work on a way to secure his freedom as well."

"I'll also work on an alternative way to secure your freedom and Will's," Lydia said. "I don't trust Beckett to keep his word. He was always a tricky man. Besides, we don't know for sure if Jack is willing to come to Port Royal and take Beckett's offer." Elizabeth nodded and turned back to Will.

"Where will you start?" Elizabeth asked.

"Tortuga," Will said. "I'll start there and I won't stop searching until I find him. And then I intend to return here and marry you." Elizabeth smiled and let out a ghost of a laugh.

"Properly?" she asked.

"With your leave, if you'll still have me," Will responded.

"If it weren't for these bars, I'd have you already," Elizabeth said. There was a sudden, loud clanking sound echoed through the prison. Governor Swann let out a yelp as he stumbled, taking a metal sconce with him. He discarded it to the side, ignoring the annoyed look of the guard. Elizabeth sighed and brushed her hand against Will's face. "I'll wait for you."

"Keep a weather eye on the horizon," Will murmured. The two of them were so close to each other that they could have kissed, but Will pulled away. "Come on, Kitty. We have a ship to catch." Kitty nodded. Lydia quickly pulled Kitty into a hug and held onto her tightly.

"Be careful," Lydia said. "In my dream last night, the beast took a ship as if it were nothing."

"We will," Kitty said. She broke the hug and turned around, rushing after Will. Now the only people in the cells were Elizabeth, Lydia, Governor Swann, and the guard. Lydia took a breath and knelt down in front of her sister.

"I will do all that I can for all of you," Lydia told her. "No price is too high for me to pay when it comes to your freedom."

"So long as I don't lose you in the process," Elizabeth said. "Even now, I worry for you."

"Don't," Lydia said, taking Elizabeth's hand. "Don't fear for me." She felt a tap on her shoulder and saw the stern faced guard glaring down at her. "I suppose that means I should take my leave." Lydia turned back to Elizabeth and squeezed her hand tightly. "I love you, sister. And I will everything in my power to free you." Elizabeth nodded and gave Lydia's hand a supportive squeeze back.

"Be safe," Elizabeth said. Lydia stood up and let go of her sister's hand, leaving the cells with her father.

Lydia stepped into the carriage and prepared to return to the Swann estate with her father. When the carriage door shut, her father took off his hat and shook his head. "I'm already attempting to come up with a plan to get Elizabeth out of there."

"Perhaps I could speak with Beckett," Lydia suggested. "It seems he still has a fondness for me. As much as I'm disgusted by that, I have no quarrel with using that to secure the freedom of Elizabeth, Will, James, and possibly Kitty."

"Absolutely not," Governor Swann snapped. "I don't trust that man with Port Royal, much less one of my daughters. Especially you."

"But it may be one of the only chances we have," Lydia pointed out. "If it is, then I have to take it, regardless of the cost. All I have in this world are you and my sisters. Without you, I have nothing." Governor Swann was silent and shook his head.

"I despise how he looked at you when Elizabeth was arrested," he murmured.

"You mean that look of wanting to possess something he didn't have?" Lydia snorted. She shook her head and tensed her jaw. "How do you think I felt? He looked at me like he was appraising some glittering jewel or prized dog. But understand that I will endure that so long as I can ensure the freedom and safety of my family."

"You would do anything for your sisters, I know that," Governor Swann said. "Just as I will do anything to protect my daughters."

"Eventually, we have to make our own decisions," Lydia said, staring out the window of the carriage. Ships were sitting in the glittering harbor, one of which was probably carrying Kitty and Will as they journeyed to Tortuga. "You cannot protect us forever. At some point, _we_ need to choose how we protect our loved ones. I have been a mother to my sisters ever since mum died. That is my role. It always has been and always will be. I no longer have the luxury of a happy ending, father. I don't think I ever did. So if I must sacrifice my own happiness to secure the happiness of my sisters, then I will."

"I can't stop you from doing what you feel must be done, can I?" Governor Swann asked.

"No more than you could have stopped Alice from running off with Jack Sparrow," Lydia answered with a faint smile. "No more than you could have stopped Kitty from going with Will." She looked over at her Father, who was looking down sadly. "Father? What is it?"

"I fear that soon I will lose you as well," Governor Swann admitted. "I fear that Elizabeth will face the gallows before Will can return. I fear that if Alice comes to Port Royal with Jack, she will be arrested and executed. I fear that Kitty will lose her life as she searches for her husband… or worse. She could find out that James is dead."

"I think it would be worse to find him alive somewhere, wasting away," Lydia said. "No… I know it would be worse for her to find him alive. If he's alive, he could have returned to his family instead of hiding away like a coward." Lydia sighed and shook her head. "I'm sorry, that was harsh of me to say. He _did_ lose the _Dauntless_ , as well as nearly a third of his men. That toll must not have been easy on his sanity."

"It is an explanation, but not an excuse," her father said. Lydia closed her eyes and shook her head. She tried to shove the memories that threatened to come forward to the back of her mind. How many times had she said that phrase to Barbossa as he searched tireless to lift the curse of the stone chest? She took a breath and opened her eyes, looking at her father. She tried to ignore the image of blue eyes and a big feathered hat as the carriage rolled to a stop in front of the Swann estate.

"Perhaps he feels that he can't return home," Lydia said as they stepped out of the carriage. "Perhaps he feels that he has been too shamed to even feel that he has the right to see his wife and child. I know, an explanation is not an excuse. But an explanation is often better than nothing." She watched as one of the servants opened the front doors. She followed her father into the estate. "Remember how he was after the battle of Isla de Muerta? James Norrington is a man that cares deeply for each one of his men. He has always felt personally responsible should any of his men die under his command."

"You're right," Governor Swann said. "Could you watch Little James? I have much to attend to. I'm practically drowning in letters over concerns of the regulations the East India Trading Company is putting into effect." Lydia nodded and immediately walked upstairs. She opened the doors to Kitty's bedroom and found Little James fast asleep in his cradle. She sat down and watch the little baby sleep.

How wonderful it must have been for him… ignorant to the horrors that were unraveling around him. If only Lydia could possess such innocence once more. Yet she knew she could never regain innocence like that. No, she was now thrust into a world full of corruption and games of power. At least, she was now that Lord Cutler Beckett took over Port Royal. Everyone would have to tread carefully now, especially the members of the Swann family.


	33. Dead Man's Chest: Chapter 5

Lydia wished she could have been surprised when she received a letter from Lord Cutler Beckett inviting her to tea at his office at Fort Charles. She wished that she could have been that ignorant sixteen-year-old once more. That version of her would have looked forward to this tea that she had no possible way of getting out of. But, alas, she wasn't an ignorant child anymore. She knew that Beckett was a dangerous man to cross; even more so should she refuse to give him what he wanted. What that was in regards to Lydia was still unclear.

She couldn't stop the rapid hammering of her heart inside her chest or ignore the feeling of nausea that rose in her throat. Yet she did her best to keep her expression stoic and her composure solid. She refused to get that snake of a man get to her. She refused to squirm under his scrutiny. She looked down at the apple green satin of her dress and immediately felt a little calmer. Ever since Barbossa had died, she found that the color comforted her. Strange how little things like that could ease her nerves this much.

The East India Trading Company soldiers stepped out of Lydia's way as she walked through Fort Charles. There was a time when this fort was so comfortable to her. Now it felt as if it were invaded by a foreign entity. It didn't even feel like the same fort that she watched James Norrington get promoted in two years ago. What was once a place of security for her was now a place that felt nothing but unnerving to her. Not a single cell in her being felt relaxed or at ease here. The bright sun gleaming down on Fort Charles almost felt like a mockery of the darkness that had now invaded this former safe-haven.

"Miss Swann," a man suddenly called out from behind her. Lydia turned around and saw Lord Beckett's right-hand-man. If Lydia recalled correctly, this intimidating looking man was called Mercer. "Lord Beckett is waiting for you."

"Thank you," Lydia replied, fighting every part of her that wanted to pull an "Alice" and give the snarkiest comment possible.

"Allow me to escort you to his office," Mercer said. Lydia tensed her jaw and nodded. Mercer brushed past her and started to walk about the stone pathways. Lydia followed him, trying to push away the nagging feeling of suffocation as she neared Lord Beckett's office. Her gut was telling her that coming here was a very bad idea, yet she knew that she could not refuse this summons. Not while Elizabeth was imprisoned, Kitty and Alice somewhere in the Caribbean, and her father was possibly going to lose his status as Governor.

The two finally reached a large set of wooden double doors. The two soldiers standing guard opened the doors for Mercer and Lydia. She entered the office, unfazed when Mercer didn't enter with her. She wouldn't have expected any less. She suspected that whatever Beckett wanted her here for was meant for her ears and her ears only.

"Lydia. So good of you to join me."

His voice made her blood run cold. She took a slow, deep breath and looked up to see Cutler Beckett sitting behind his desk, tidying some documents. She didn't want to know about what words those papers could contain.

"How could I refuse?" Lydia responded, forcing herself to let out even a small smile. A few seconds later, a man who appeared to be a servant entered the office, pushing a small metal cart with a very fine porcelain tea set. The gold trim and patterns showed that this set couldn't have been cheap in the slightest. She shouldn't have been surprised to see a man like Lord Beckett displaying his wealth whenever he could. Beckett smirked and stood up, striding towards a smaller table with two chairs. The servant placed the tea set on the table and left the room quickly. Lydia couldn't blame him for only wanting to be around Beckett for as long as necessary. Lydia took a seat at the table at almost the same time as Beckett.

"I took the liberty of acquiring your favored blend," Beckett said, pouring the tea into each of their cups with no hesitation. Lydia arched an eyebrow and looked down at the black tea in her cup. Sure enough, she was able to detect a faint aroma of lavender. She hadn't had this blend in the longest time. Lavender didn't grow well in the humid climate of Port Royal. She took a sip of the blend, savoring the flavor that had almost been forgotten.

"Why did you wish to see me?" Lydia inquired as she took another sip of tea.

"You don't believe that I merely wished to catch up with an old friend?" Beckett asked with a tricky smirk.

"I am not at naïve as I once was, Lord Beckett," Lydia responded. "I've learned the ways of high society. More importantly, I know you. You want something of me." Beckett let out a faint laugh and took a long drink of his tea.

"You've certainly changed, Lydia," he said, leaning against the table. "But not enough to where I no longer know you." He took another sip of his tea and set the cup down on its saucer. "I know you doubt the sincerity of my deal with Turner."

"I do," Lydia replied. "I know better than to try and lie to one as perceptive you." Perhaps slipping some flattery into this conversation would help her case. Stroking Beckett's ego would put her on his good side. "I doubt you'll keep your word. But I also doubt that Jack Sparrow will accept your terms. Either way, my sister's freedom is not guaranteed in the slightest."

"What if I told you I had a proposal for you?" Beckett said. Lydia arched an eyebrow and took a sip of her tea. Even her favorite blend of tea could not comfort her.

"What sort of proposal?" Lydia asked.

"One of marriage."

Lydia nearly spat up her tea. She placed a hand on her chest and she tried to recover from the feeling of hot tea going down her windpipe. Her eyes widened and her heartbeat raced faster. She didn't know what sort of deal she expected from Beckett, but she didn't expect this sort of move from his this soon. She would have expected a request of courtship first. "I apologize, Lord Beckett," Lydia said as she regained her composure. "You caught me off guard. You want me to _marry_ you?"

"I'm aware of my forwardness," Beckett said with a faint chuckle. "I must admit, your reaction was more amusing than I thought it would be."

"What are the terms?" Lydia asked. "What will you do for my sister if I marry you?"

"For one, I'll change Elizabeth's punishment," Beckett said, calmly pouring himself more tea. "Instead of execution, it will be imprisonment. She will be freed completely should Turner succeed in his mission. Any terms you care to add?"

"Will, Kitty, and James Norrington will be pardoned," Lydia said. "I'm not so foolish to believe that you won't arrest Kitty and Will for any acts of piracy that they should commit while completing your task. Not to mention that neither Will nor James were mentioned in the original agreement. At least, that's what I gathered," Beckett smirked and took a long sip of his tea.

"You've grown cleverer, indeed," he said. "Fine. I'll grant them full pardons should they return to Port Royal."

"And your terms? Besides the obvious, I mean," Lydia said.

"An heir within seven years," Beckett said. "I'm not so unrealistic as to expect a son within a year." He reached into his coat pocket and took out a ring. The gold band gleamed in the Caribbean sunlight and the large diamond in the center glittered beautifully. Most women would have loved to be given such a beautiful yet simple ring. Yet she could only feel a sense of disgust with herself and Beckett as she looked at this ring. He took her hand in his and slid the ring onto to right ring finger.

 _Forgive me, Hector,_ she thought to herself. She felt as if she were betraying the man who took her heart with him to the grave. Yet she knew that this would be her only chance of securing freedom for her loved ones. She had no other choice… not anymore. He smirked and let go of her hand.

"I'll write the agreement this evening," Beckett said. "We can handle the signatures with your father tomorrow."

"When do you anticipate the wedding?" Lydia asked, unable to look away from the right that seemed to weigh so heavily on her right hand.

"One month from now," he said. She narrowed her eyes and tensed her jaw. So soon? It seemed that Beckett didn't want to wait a single moment. His lust for her ran deeper than she thought. She nodded and took a breath.

"Was there anything else you needed from me?" she asked.

"Not at the moment," Lord Beckett said. She felt his hand take her chin and tilt her head up to look at him. He smirked and said, "Until tomorrow, my dearest." He leaned closer to her and pressed his lips on hers. Lydia almost immediately felt sick to her stomach. She felt nothing more than disgust and uneasiness in that kiss. Beckett broke the kiss and walked back to his desk, reorganizing his papers. Lydia stood up and walked towards the door, pushing it open and leaving her new fiancé's office.

* * *

Kitty wrinkled her nose in disgust the first moment she breathed in the scent of Tortuga. She could smell nothing but fish, rum, vomit, and human waste. "Welcome to Tortuga," Will said with a dark smile. "I hoped I'd never have to set foot here again."

"I can see why," Kitty replied. Her brown eyes darted around, looking for some person that they could possibly talk to in regards to where Jack Sparrow was. It had taken the two about a month to even get to Tortuga. So few honest sailors were even willing to go near that port. They ended up paying for passage on some rundown fishing vessel near Havana. She never wanted to smell sardines or groupers ever again. A week on that vessel gave her enough contact with those kinds of fish to last her a lifetime.

Will wasted no time in his search for Jack. A few seconds later, he went right up to one of the fishermen and started asking questions. "Have you seen Captain Jack Sparrow recently?"

"Captain Jack Sparrow?" the fisherman replied. He shook his head. "Hadn't thought of it. Thought he was dead."

"He ain't dead," another fisherman snapped. "He was just here a few months ago. Don't know where he is now."

"Anyone from the Royal Navy appear around here?" Kitty asked. Both fishermen shook their heads.

"What marine would be stupid enough to come around here?" the first fisherman asked. Kitty nodded and turned to Will.

"Where do we go from here?" she asked.

"We have enough money to stay at an inn for at least two weeks," Will said. "It may take time, but someone will know." Kitty nodded and followed Will across the wooden docks. Though it was still day, drunken men were already roaming the streets. Women wearing dresses with tattered skirts and low necklines showed off their assets to the drunks wandering the streets. This was the sort of behavior Kitty would have expected to see at night; not in the middle of the afternoon. They arrived at an inn called the _King's Arm_. It looked relatively nice compared to a majority of the other inns. Will entered the inn without hesitation. Kitty scurried close behind him, very clearly uncomfortable. They came up to the innkeeper, a large, red-faced man who definitely had too much to drink.

"Yes?" he asked, his words slurred.

"Two rooms," Will said.

"You got money?" he asked. Will took out the coin purse and dropped it on the counter. The innkeeper sobered up immediately and peered at the contents of the purse. "It's enough for about two weeks."

"Good," Will said. The innkeeper reached into a draw and fumbled around, searching for the room keys. He handed one to Kitty and one to Will. The two went upstairs and easily found their rooms. "It might be better for you to just stay here for a while," Will said. "I wouldn't trust anyone here as far as I could throw them, especially with you."

"I understand," Kitty said. "Go question some more people. I can question some of the people staying here. They might know of Alice or Jack. Maybe even James." Will nodded and ran down the wooden staircase. Kitty sighed and leaned against the wall, wondering just what exactly she'd gotten herself into.

* * *

Alice was determined to find out what was up with Jack.

Ever since they had finally made it back across the Atlantic from the Mediterranean, Jack had been adamant about staying close to shorelines. The entire month they were at open sea, he was nothing but anxious and jittery. He hadn't even spoken about the loss of Phyllis the Hat yet. Alice knew something was deeply worrying him. She'd gotten that vibe from him even before they left for Turkey. She especially noticed that a piece of cloth seemed permanently wrapped around his palm. She wasn't stupid enough to believe his, 'I cut my hand on a knife' story. She could tell that the hand caused him no pain.

At the moment, Alice was sitting on the bed in their cabin, waiting for Jack to retire for the night. She intended to have a long chat with him about whatever it was he was hiding from her. She could understand him hiding something from the crew… but not her. Never her.

A second later, the doors opened and Jack swaggered inside. He immediately froze and gave Alice a strange look. "What is it, love?"

"You're not telling me something," Alice said. She wasn't going to waste her time with beating around the bush. She intended to make all of her feelings and intentions known. "Something is frightening you and you won't tell me what. I'm not an idiot, Jack. Your hand is completely fine." Jack sighed and shut the door behind him, shaking his head.

"You never cease to surprise me, Alice," Jack said.

"You'd get bored if I stopped being surprising," Alice responded with a smirk. It immediately faded, though. She was supposed to be upset with him. "You're going to tell me what's got you so scared, whether you like it or not."

"I am?" Jack asked.

"Yes," Alice replied. "You are. You know why?" Jack shrugged, showing that he clearly didn't know what Alice was planning. "Because I'm not going to share your bed until I know what's wrong." Jack immediately froze and dropped his jaw. Alice smirked, knowing that this part of her plan was working. "Now take that piece of cloth off your hand so I can see exactly what you're trying to hide from me and the crew."

"You can't say a thing to anyone else," he said, his voice low and strangely serious. Alice nodded and stood up, walking over to her lover. She took Jack's hand and slowly unwrapped the grimy piece of cloth. What she saw made her gasp and stumbled backwards.

Jack Sparrow was marked with the Black Spot.

"That's why you want to stick to the shallows, then?" Alice breathed out. Jack nodded and sat down on the bed. "How long?"

"Remember the night I woke everyone up in a panicked frenzy?" Jack asked with a faint smile. Alice nodded and moved to where she was sitting next to Jack.

"We have to do something," Alice said. "Anything. I don't care what."

"The only thing we can do is find that key and the chest it unlocks," Jack said. "That's why I took us all the way to Turkey."

"I wondered why we went there," Alice said. She shook her head and tensed her jaw. "We could go to Port Royal. Maybe Davy Jones would listen to Lydia. She's a Nereid. She must have some power over the Kraken." She looked down and spotted Jack's compass. "I might be able to help find the key. I might be able to get us a bearing with your compass."

"What we need is to get to land," Jack said, standing up. He wrapped his hand back up with the cloth.

"Where are you going?" Alice asked.

"I need some air," Jack replied. He left the cabin, the doors slamming with a resounding thud. Alice stared at the door, shaking her head. She lied down and stared blankly up at the ceiling, wishing there was something she could do to save the man she loved.


	34. Dead Man's Chest: Chapter 6

"It isn't too late for you to change your mind."

Lydia didn't both to turn around and look at her father. She didn't need to. She could practically feel the disappointment and anger radiating off of him. He didn't understand that she had no quarrel with marrying such a wretched man if it meant that her sisters would be free. Lydia wasn't getting any younger and the man she loved was already dead. She had nothing more to lose.

She looked at herself in the mirror. The woman she saw in the mirror looked so stoic and cold; not warm and blushing like any other woman would be on her wedding day. She wore a cream gown with soft pink flowers embroidered into the bodice and the trim of the skirts. None of this felt right; not the dress, not her reflection, and certainly not this wedding. But she had to go through with it. She couldn't afford to get cold feet and risk the wrath of Cutler Beckett, for she knew that he would take it out on her sisters rather than her.

She had to get married to him.

She had to become Lady Lydia Beckett. It was the only way to secure her family's safety.

"It was too late from the moment I said yes, father," Lydia said.

"Lydia, I can't bear the thought of you marrying him," Governor Swann said. "He is a cruel man. He will hurt you."

"And he'll do worse to our loved ones if I change my mind now," Lydia snapped. "Do you think that Lord Beckett will let such a slight go unpunished?" Governor Swann was quiet. Lydia was sure it was because he knew she was right. She was in too deep to back out now. She took a breath and turned around. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped. But you know I'm right. Just trust me as you always have father." Governor Swann nodded softly and wrapped his daughter into a tight hug. Lydia hugged her father back, letting him be a father to her one last time before she was inevitably cut off from the rest of her family. She very much doubted that Lord Beckett would allow her to spend too much time with her father... but she wasn't about to make that thought known. Not right now.

"I wish I could have prevented this," he murmured.

"I know," Lydia said. "But there is one good thought in this entire situation. Beckett doesn't know I'm a Nereid. He won't try and use me for that."

"Make sure he never finds out," Governor Swann said.

"I'm good at keeping my secrets, father," Lydia said with a faint smirk. "I'll just need to be more careful about keeping them hidden from Beckett. He's a clever man." Governor Swann stepped out of the hug and nodded. "Come on, father. We mustn't keep my fiance waiting." She could practically taste the venom that subconsciously came with the word 'fiance.' Lydia swiftly left the room, the small train of her dress brushing across the floor.

She stepped down the stairs, the servants lined up at the bottom with sorrow in their eyes. Astrid, the maid who'd taken care of her since she was ten, looked as if she were going to burst into tears at any moment. Lydia gave the woman a tight hug and then pulled away. "Weep not for me," Lydia said. "This is for the best."

"I know, miss," Astrid said. Lydia let out a faint smile and then turned to the door. Their new butler opened one side of the double doors. She got into the carriage and stared blankly out the window. She heard her father enter the carriage after her and shut the door behind him. The carriage started moving, the sights out the window blurring in Lydia's vision.

"Should you ever need anything-"

"I'll write to you," Lydia said, cutting off her father. "I promise." A lie. A blatant lie. But right now she just needed her father to believe that he could help her. The minutes that passed silently in that carriage on the journey to Fort Charles blurred together. She didn't even realize they'd stopped moving until her father placed a gentle, loving hand on her shoulder. Lydia took a breath and exited the carriage with the assistance of her father.

She could hardly think as she walked with her father to the Fort Charles chapel. It was the very same chapel that Elizabeth was supposed to get married in two and a half months ago. From what Lydia had heard, news of her engagement to Lord Beckett incited shock in a majority of the aristocracy... along with a few reactions of jealousy amongst silly young girls hoping to marry a Lord. If only those silly girls knew what horrors lurked beneath his blue eyes...

Before she knew it, she was standing at the end of the aisle, walking down it on her father's arm. At the altar stood Lord Beckett in his finest suit. She might have thought he looked handsome had she not known his true nature. For Lydia, this was nothing more than a business agreement. For him, it was the fruition of his desires. The words of the priest faded into the back of her head; it sounded like nothing more than faint, unintelligible murmuring. She felt sick to her stomach, but could not show so. She wanted to scream and fight her way out of this, but couldn't. She wasn't a fool; she knew she was trapping herself in a situation that she would never be able to escape. Every fiber of being wanted to run away, but she knew better. She knew she needed to do everything in her power to keep her sisters safe.

"Lydia Cordelia Swann, wilt thou have this man to thy wedded Husband, to live together in God's ordinance in the holy estate of Matrimony? Wilt thou obey him, and serve him, love, honor, and keep him in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all other, keep thee only unto him, as long as ye both shall live?"

Lydia looked up at the priest and nodded, saying, "I will." She wanted to say no. She wanted so very much to say no and escape this fate. After all, it wasn't as if Cutler Beckett was going to keep any of those promises to her. The next words were a blur to her; she could vaguely hear Beckett's voice as he recited his vows. When the priest looked at her, she knew it was her turn to recite her vows. "I, Lydia Swann, take thee, Lord Cutler Beckett, to my wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness, and in health, to love, cherish, and to obey, till death us do part, according to God's holy ordinance: and thereto I give thee my troth."

Beckett moved the ring on her right hand to the fourth finger of her left hand, reciting another vow that Lydia wasn't paying any attention to. All she could see was that ring moving onto her finger, binding her to Lord Beckett for the rest of her life. The next thing she knew, she was on her knees before the priest as a prayer was recited. When they stood, she faintly heard him say, "I now pronounce that they be Man and Wife together, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Amen. You may now kiss the bride."

Lord Beckett took a step closer to her and pressed his lips against hers. Lydia did her best to react to the kiss in a way that would please her new husband. She needed to stay on his good side, even if it made her feel like vomiting at any moment. She heard applause from the various nobles that were invited to the ceremony as she and Beckett walked down the aisle, now man and wife. The reception was to be held immediately after the ceremony in the main courtyard of the Fort. Tables and chairs had already been set up with one table higher than the rest. Lydia knew that had to be for her and her husband. Maybe even her father if he were lucky.

She was lead to the high table by her new husband, who pulled out a chair for her to be seated in. As he pushed the chair in, he bent down to her ear and hissed, "Don't look so morose, my darling. It's our wedding day." Lydia forced a smile onto her face and looked at her husband as he sat next to her.

"I apologize," she said. "I do not mean to look so melancholy. I suppose it is merely nerves."

"Then try to keep your nerves in check," he whispered smiling at the guests as they took their seats. Mr. Mercer took a seat to Beckett's left. Governor Swann sat at the seat to Lydia's right. The wedding dinner was all a blur to Lydia. All she could think about was what was inevitably going to occur that night once she and Beckett returned to their home. She didn't realize she had been tapping her finger on her lap until her husband took her hand.

"I'm sorry," Lydia said, taking another bite of her food. "My thoughts keep drifting towards tonight. I didn't realize I'd made my nervousness so obvious."

"So your virtue is still intact then?" Beckett asked as he took another drink of wine.

"You doubted that?" Lydia asked in confusion. She was almost offended that he thought such a thing of her.

"Considering you were taken captive by pirates two years ago, such doubt is justified," Beckett said, disgust evident in his eyes. "I wouldn't put it past those disgusting creatures to take a woman against her will." Lydia resisted the urge to scoff at that statement. She could almost say the same for him.

"Thankfully none of them had an interest in me," Lydia said, forcing herself to smile. "At least not in that manner." She saw Beckett's lips curl into a smile. She was almost afraid of the thoughts that were running through his head. "What is it?"

"I'm merely relieved that those pirates didn't strip you of your maidenhood," he said as he took another sip of wine. Lydia nodded and drank some of her own wine. She didn't need to look to know that Governor Swann was practically seething. She looked over at her father and raised an eyebrow, trying to convey to him the importance of staying calm.

The next few hours of festivities blurred past Lydia. She could vaguely recalling dancing with Beckett and her father a few times. The next thing she knew she was being shepherded to Beckett's carriage so that they could go to his estate and start their lives as man and wife.

"Still anxious for tonight?" Lord Beckett's voice stirred her from her thoughts. Lydia let out a faint smile and nodded.

"I know shouldn't be so nervous, but I can't help it," Lydia said.

"I can assure you, you have nothing to worry about," Beckett said with a smirk. "I've never had any complaints before."

"I should warn you," Lydia said. "I have a bad right shoulder. When the pirates attacked Port Royal two years ago I got caught in a crossfire."

"You were shot?" Beckett asked. Lydia nodded.

"The scarring doesn't look too bad," Lydia said. "Just don't pull on my right arm or press on that spot. That is all I'll ask." Beckett nodded. They rolled to a stop and the newly married couple exited the carriage. Lydia looked up at the Beckett estate. She shouldn't have been surprised to see the grandeur of the place Beckett had chosen to live in. He truly did take every opportunity to show off his wealth.

She hardly had time to look at the house before she was escorted inside. The sun had already set and the full moon was glimmering high in the sky. A wave of confidence overcame Lydia as she looked at the moon. She noticed over the past two years that she felt much more powerful when the full moon was out. Maybe that strength would benefit her tonight. She prayed that it did.

Lydia was lead up a set of stairs and into the room she assumed would belong to her and Cutler. (She figured she might as well get used to using his first name. He was her husband now, after all.) She entered the room as he shut the door. He locked it with a loud, resounding click before turning to Lydia. He took slow, deliberate steps towards her, resting his hands on her waist. "Fear not, Lydia. You'll feel only a moment of pain. After that, I can guarantee your pleasure," he said. Lydia felt a deep knot in the pit of her stomach. She took a deep breath before looking up at Cutler and pressing a kiss to his lips.

The action seemed to have surprised him, but he pulled her closer to him and deepened the kiss. She felt his hands start to wander higher. He broke the kiss and turned her around, unlacing the back of Lydia's gown. She focused on steadying her breathing and grounding herself. The mediation required for manipulating water would definitely help her with easing her nerves. "Just relax, my darling," Cutler said as he pressed a trail of kisses up her neck. He lowered her gown, leaving her in just her corset and shift. She felt her corset loosen as he undid the lacing.

Lydia felt her heartbeat race faster as he slid the corset off and kept pressing kisses to the nape of her neck. She felt herself being guided to their bed. She could only go with whatever would happen tonight. She almost hated herself for how much she was actually enjoying this. The rest of her night was filled with moans of pleasure and a nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach that she was betraying Hector Barbossa.

* * *

Kitty was sitting in the tavern, nursing a light ale as she listened for any sort of information she could use. So far all she was hearing was stuff about the fish market and the breast sizes of various whores. She was about to retire to her room for the night when Will suddenly burst into the tavern.

"I know where Jack is," he said, almost breathlessly. "We're leaving tomorrow."

"Where is he?" Kitty asked.

"Some island that a trader gets something called long pork," Will said. Kitty furrowed her brow in confusion. What is the world was long pork? Perhaps it was some sort of pirate delicacy. "A ship with black sails has been spotted there. It has to be the Black Pearl. It can't possibly be any other ship." Kitty nodded and finished off her ale.

"How long to get to the island?" she asked.

"About four days, maybe five," Will said. "Come on. We should rest for tomorrow."

"Definitely," Kitty said. She stood up and set her mug to the side. She practically ran up the stairs and entered her room, locking the door behind her. She didn't trust any of the men on Tortuga as far she could throw them. Especially not the rather shifty bartender that kept trying to send her free drinks. She lied down on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. Tomorrow they would be leaving Tortuga. She'd spent a month in Tortuga and hadn't gotten anywhere near to finding James. She missed his presence now more than ever. She wanted to both strangle and kiss her husband.

Her mind drifted to Lydia and her father and Little James. She'd never been away from her son for this long. Would she miss his first words? Would she miss his first steps? How much of her son's life would she miss while she searched for this compass of Jack's? She prayed that this could all be resolved quickly. She just wanted to return home to her son with her husband.


	35. Dead Man's Chest: Chapter 7

Kitty stood next to Will as he peered through the spyglass. "Is it there?" she asked. For four days she'd been on this pirate trading vessel and for all four days she'd dealt with their wandering eyes and (occasionally) wandering hands. She was a little more than anxious to get off this damned ship. Will nodded as he handed the spyglass to the captain.

"My brother will take you to shore," the dark-skinned man said. The crew lowered a longboat and another tall, dark-skinned with a shaved head began to climb down the rope ladder. Will descended first, followed by Kitty. They entered the longboat and the man immediately began to row. It was as if he didn't want to waste any time getting them to that island.

For many minutes they rowed in silence, the island looming closer and closer. Kitty highly doubted James would have been anywhere near Jack Sparrow, but at least she knew she would find Alice with Jack. Her mind wandered to her younger sister. How different did she look now? Was she happy? Was she safe? So many questions about her sister's well being began to pop into her head, one after the other. Kitty was beginning to feel that she was worrying more about Alice than herself.

The man rowing the longboat suddenly stopped rowing, staring at Will expectantly. "What's wrong?" Will asked. "The beach is right there!"

"Ne bougeais pas, c'set beaucoup trop dangereaux," the man said. Kitty could somewhat understand what he was saying due to her years of training in French. He sounded extremely afraid of whatever was on that island.

"What?" Will asked.

"He's not going any further," Kitty said. "He says it's too dangerous."

"Je ne pois, c'est trop dangereaux, j'avais le dit," the man repeated. Kitty narrowed her eyes in concern and stared at the seemingly harmless island. What manner of creature was on there that made him so afraid? Was it that thing Lydia kept seeing? No... it couldn't have been. Lydia said that the monster only resided in the sea.

"Come on," Will said. He stood up and dove straight into the water. Kitty sighed and rolled her eyes. There was no going back now.

"Merci monsieur," Kitty said before jumping into the water. She swam for the surface as fast as she possibly could, swimming hard to keep up with Will. He was apparently a much more experienced swimmer than she was. Not that she should have been surprised. The last time she'd gone swimming was when she fourteen. She swam hard against the ocean's waves, trying to get into currents traveling towards the island. She was breathing hard, clearly not in good shape to be doing something like this. Will seemed to be having little trouble and was already ahead of her. Occasionally, she would see him turn his head around to check on her. Apparently she was doing well enough on her own because not once did Will turn around to help her.

Finally, after many minutes, Kitty felt her feet hit the sandy ocean floor. She stood up, walking up the shore. Will had already made his way over to where the _Black Pearl_ was tied. "Jack!" he called out. "Jack Sparrow!"

"Alice!" Kitty shouted.

"Marty!" Will shouted again. "Cotton! Anybody?" No response from the ship.

"They must be further inland," Kitty said, placing a hand on Will's shoulder.

"Then why would Jack leave the ship unguarded?" Will asked. "He would never leave the _Pearl_ alone. He loves it too much." Kitty nodded and started to head further inland, into the thick, green jungle. Within seconds, a large, brightly colored macaw landed on a tree stump. "Ah. A familiar face." Kitty narrowed her eyes and realized this must have been the bird Elizabeth talked about. The one that belonged to Cotton, the mute. The bird opened its wings, its feathers starting to ruffle upwards.

"Don't eat me!" the bird said. Will and Kitty twisted their faces in confusion. The two exchanged glances before looking back at the bird.

"We're not going to eat you," Will said, confused as to why the bird would think such a thing in the first place.

"Don't eat me," the bird repeated. "Don't eat me." It let out another squawk as it flew away. Kitty felt a rising feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach. Something definitely wasn't right about this island. If only Lydia were there... she might have been able to sense what was going on. Kitty followed Will as he journeyed deeper into the jungle. As the trees grew thicker, the light of the sun grew scarcer between the gaps of foliage. Will stopped and walked over to something hanging from a branch. Kitty stepped closer to him and saw that it was a leather canteen.

"Gibbs," he muttered. He noticed that a rope was tied to the canteen and quickly untied it. He picked up the rope, following it through the trees and undergrowth.

"Will, don't you think that this could possibly be a-"

The next moment, Will had been caught unaware by a native painted to blend into the trees, stumbled backwards into a trap, and was suspended in the air by the leg. Kitty scream and tried to run away, but was caught by another one of the terrifyingly painted natives. The two in front of her held their spears to her chest. Her heart raced faster and she was filled with an overwhelming panic and urge to escape. She backed up, her hands in the air as a sign of surrender. She was unarmed and out matched. She knew when to concede.

Will hung by his leg, swinging his sword wildly through the air, as if that would actually help. "Come on! Let's go! Come on, who wants it?! I can do this all day!" Will shouted. The natives all looked around at each other in confusion. Finally, one of them blew a dart into Will's neck.

"Will!" Kitty shouted. The next moment, she felt a sharp pain hit her own neck. She stumbled to the ground, feeling dizzy and light before her world went black.

The first thing Kitty noticed when she woke up was that her arms and legs were incredibly sore. Her blurry vision refocused as she tried to make sense of her surroundings. The last the she remembered was something hitting her neck... When her vision cleared, she noticed that she had been bound by her wrists and her ankles to a long green pole of bamboo. She gasped and struggled for a few seconds. Though she stopped when she realized how fruitless that was. She craned her neck backwards to see that Will was still unconscious and was in the same position as her. Lovely. They crossed over a rickety wooden bridge as they approached the center of the village. When they reached the center, they stopped.

"Kali kali ten dah dah," one of the natives shouted. Kitty squinted to see who was sitting in the center of the village. It had to be the chief. Maybe he spoke English? Well, it was highly doubtful. At least, that's what Kitty thought until she saw who exactly was sitting on that throne. Not to mention who was sitting next to him.

It was Jack and Alice.

Jack's face was painted with eight sets of eyes; three on either cheek and one set on his eyelids. Alice's face was painted white with black triangular shapes painted around her eyes. In the center of her forehead was a small 'x' in black. Her lips were painted a dark, blood red. When Alice saw Kitty, she widened her eyes in shock, but said nothing. Kitty saw that Alice's eyes were full of fear... something she never showed unless she was truly, deeply afraid.

Kitty heard a groan next to her and saw that Will was finally regaining consciousness. "Jack? Alice" he asked, squinting his eyes. Will suddenly broke into a smile and started laugh. "Jack Sparrow. I can honestly say I'm glad to see you." Jack stood up, swaggering towards Will and poking his shoulder. Will's smile fell as he said, "Jack, it's me, Will Turner!"

"Pah se ko?" Jack asked a native.

"Alice, it's me! Will!" Will shouted. "It's me and Kitty! Your sister." Alice gulped and looked over at Jack, her eyes clearly telling him to do something. Why was it that Alice wasn't even speaking?

"Teen dada, eeseetis," the native replied. The rest of the villagers chorused back with "eeseetis."

"Tell them to let us down!" Will demanded, desperation in his voice.

"Kele lam. Nom piki piki, nom minsi winsi," Jack said. Kitty saw him walk around behind Will and make a snipping motion with his hand. "Lam seisei, eunichi. Snip snip." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Alice roll her eyes. The entire tribe echoed back with a collective 'ah' and 'eunichi.'

"Jack, the compass, it's all I need. Elizabeth is in danger. We were arrested for trying to help you. She faces the gallows!" Will explained.

"Alice," Kitty said. "Cutler Beckett is in Port Royal. With Lydia." She saw Alice stiffen and look at Jack. Her jaw was tensed, as if she desperately wanted to say something but couldn't. Jack seemed to ponder for a moment before turning to the first tribesman.

"Seiserom shup shup sha smame mame shuku, savvy? Maliki liki," Jack said.

"Maliki liki!" the tribesman shouted, raising his spear.

"Maliki liki!" the rest of the tribe chorused back.

Before they were carried off by the natives, Jack bent down to Will and whispered, "Save us." Kitty looked up at Alice, who glanced around to see if anyone was looking before mouthing the same words to her. This confirmed Kitty's suspicions... they were in grave danger. All of them.

"Jack, what did you tell them!?" Will shouted as they were carried off. "What about Elizabeth? Jack! Jack!" Kitty didn't yell or scream. What good would that do? Right now she needed to stay calm and figure out how to escape this situation. One question kept popping into her head. What would Lydia do?

* * *

Alice watched as her elder sister was carried off to the makeshift cells that hung over another bridge. She tried not to show any sign of fear or anguish for her sister and her friend. She looked at Jack, trying to convey her desperation without saying anything. Jack looked over at her and nodded. He said some words in the native language before taking Alice by the hand and leading her into their tent. He shut the flaps behind him and sat down, shaking his head. "Jack, things just got so much more serious," Alice hissed in a whisper. "My sister is here! Now her life is in danger too! Think of what Norrington will do if she ends up eaten!"

"You think I don't know that?" Jack replied.

"This entire thing is your fault anyway!" Alice whispered, careful not to let her voice be heard. "This island is safe, Alice. I'm their chief, Alice. They think I'm a god, Alice. I have a fucking sea monster chasing me and I can totally avoid it, Alice!" She rolled her eyes and sat down on the floor next to Jack, her arms crossed. "Why did I have to be the mute goddess anyway? Do you know how frustrating it is to have to not make sound when your sister's been kidnapped by cannibals?"

"I'm working on a plan," Jack said.

"That's what you've said for the past two weeks!" she hissed through gritted teeth. "The ceremony is tonight! We get killed and eaten _tonight_!"

"I know, Alice," he said, shaking his head. "Will's smart. He'll figure out an escape before then." Alice sighed and shook her head.

"He'd better," she whispered. "Our lives depend on it." Jack wrapped an arm around Alice and held her closer to him.

"I know," he whispered to her. Alice moved closer to Jack. If this was going to be her last night alive, she wasn't going to be stupid enough to spend it pissed off at the man she loved.

* * *

_He hides, but it waits... it circles, ready to take the one with the Black Spot. It circles to see if the one with the Black Spot survives the Pelegostos. It hungers... it yearns... it must feed!_

Lydia woke up with a sharp gasp, sitting up as she breathed heavily. She looked down to her left, checking to see if she had made the mistake of waking her husband. She let out a sigh of relief when she saw that he was still fast asleep, making very little motion and very little sound. He was even stiff when he slept, it appeared. She crawled out of bed, careful not to cause too much of a commotion.

Lydia picked up her shift, which lied on the floor, and slid on over her head. She'd had to share Cutler's bed every night for two weeks now. She thought that she'd be used to it by now, but she wasn't. She could still scarcely believe she had actually agreed to marry him. More so that she'd actually been consenting to his advances. She saw the faint glimmer of the rising sun come through the window. It she had to guess, it was sunrise. Even with her new nightly activity, she still woke up before the sun rose.

She picked up a book of poetry from the bookshelf by Cutler's writing desk. She sat on the soft cushions inside the bay window and began to read. The least she could do was distract herself right now. She didn't want to think about her nightmares or her marriage. She didn't want to think about the conflicting feelings that tumbled around inside of her. She still loved Hector, yes, but she didn't feel that she hated her nights with Cutler. Perhaps his fondness for her stayed his sadistic side. At least for her, it did.

Lydia heard the movement of sheets as Cutler stirred from his sleep. His short brown hair was revealed for once. His powdered wig sat on its stand on the night-table. He bent down and grabbed his discarded clothing from the night before. "Why is it you're always awake before I am?" he asked.

"I was always the first one awake in my family," Lydia said, not looking up from her book. "I'm assuming I'm still confined to the estate while you work?" She heard Cutler let out an annoyed sigh. He stood up, now wearing a loose shirt and a pair of breeches.

"It's not confinement, dearest," he said. He walked up to her and pressed a kiss against her cheek. "It's merely me making sure you don't do anything rash to help your sister. The last thing we need is for the wife of a Lord to be arrested for aiding in the escape of a prisoner."

"And I'll tell you again that you needn't be worried about that," Lydia said, not looking at her husband. "I'm not a fool."

"I know that," he whispered. He stood up and walked over to his wardrobe, taking out various articles of clothing. Lydia sighed and closed the book. She stood up, but immediately felt extremely light headed. Her vision blurred and her head started spinning. She stumbled and fell to the ground, her legs trembling and weak. "Lydia!" Within a second, Cutler was next to her, helping her to feet. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she said, forcing a smile to her face. "I just felt faint for a moment." She shook her head, as if she were trying to shake the dizziness away, and rose to her feet, guided by Cutler. "Perhaps breakfast will help." Cutler didn't look convinced with Lydia's response, but went along with it. Lydia took a breath and opened her armoire. She pretended to look through dresses as she thought about her dizzy spell.

She would never admit it to him, but this wasn't the first time this had happened this week. Since her permanent relocation to the Beckett Estate, she'd felt as if she were getting progressively weaker. Lydia was beginning to suspect it was because she hadn't had any contact with the ocean since her wedding. Part of her felt like it needed to be near the water at the very least. She doubted that Cutler would have any books regarding Nereids, so she couldn't exact research that. Perhaps while he was gone she could figure out a way to get down to her secret cove...

"You're not about to faint, are you?"

Her husband's voice brought her out of her train of thought. Lydia turned around and smiled a false, gracious smile.

"No," Lydia said. "Just trying to make a decision. You know how we women are when it comes to picking out a dress." Cutler seemed to accept this answer, as he walked up to her armoire and pulled out a pale blue dress with gold embroidery. Lydia smiled and took the dress. "Thank you."

"You know when to expect me to return home," Cutler said. He pressed a kiss to her cheek before leaving the room, shutting the door behind him. Lydia tossed the dress onto the bed and opened the door when she was sure Cutler was gone. To her luck, she saw one of the servants passing by. She was almost sure that this maid's named was Mary.

"Mary," Lydia called out. "Tell the other servants that I'm not to be bothered today. I'm not feeling too well and would just like to be alone." The servant girl nodded and darted down the hallway. Lydia shut the door behind her and locked it, just to be sure she wouldn't be bothered. She opened Cutler's wardrobe and looked for the most nondescript clothing he possibly owned. Unfortunately, there wasn't a lot. She settled for taking a pair of brown riding breeches and a cotton shirt.

As she dressed in this clothing, she looked around the room for something she could use to hide her hair. She eventually decided to take a pillowcase and wrap it around her head like a bandana. Lydia didn't care about the consequences she would face if she were caught. All she knew was that the Nereid in her was practically screaming for contact with the sea. She opened up the bay window, thankful that their bedroom was on the first floor, and slipped out. Would she regret this act of impulse? Not really. Would she regret it if she got caught? Yes. But the rational part of her wasn't thinking... only the Nereid's desires mattered right now.


	36. Dead Man's Chest: Chapter 8

Lydia should have realized her mistake when the saw the bedroom window open upon her return to the Beckett Estate. She should have known the moment she didn't have to use her key to unlock the window from the outside. But she definitely knew she made a mistake when she saw her husband pacing around the room, clearly looking furious. Lydia's eye darted to the bed and she saw that the dress he'd taken from her closet was still lying on the bed in the same state as it had been that morning. Lydia stiffened and attempted to duck down and hide.

"Don't let me stop you from sneaking into your own house, my darling."

Lydia winced at the cold, harsh tone her husband was using and gulped. Why wasn't she more careful? Granted, she didn't have nearly as much experience with sneaking out as Alice, but she still should have been so much more careful. She bit her lip as she climbed through the window, taking her makeshift bandana off and setting it gently on the seat in the bay window. "Cutler, I-"

"I asked one thing of you, Lydia," he snapped. "One!" He stopped pacing and stood in front of her, his gaze full of a cold fury. "Imagine my surprise when I come home to hear that you weren't feeling well from one of the servants. I was, of course, concerned for you. After all, what self-respecting man wouldn't be concerned for his ill wife? Yet when I came here I found the door locked. Seems rather odd that you would lock the door if you were feeling ill. When I finally unlocked the door, well... I wasn't very pleased at all. My wife, who was supposedly resting, was nowhere in sight. It didn't even look like she'd touched her dress. Yet my wardrobe was open and some of my clothing was missing." He frowned and shook his head. "I'm not an idiot, Lydia. I can put two and two together. You disobeyed my orders and snuck out of the house. Do you have any idea how furious I am right now?"

"Your reaction's giving me a fairly good idea," Lydia snapped. She started pacing about the room, shaking her head. "But do you realize what's it's like to feel like you haven't the freedom to go anywhere or do anything? Especially after going through my ordeal two years ago." She shut the window and glared into the glass, not wanting to look at her husband. The back of her mind was telling her to make her experiences with Barbossa sound worse than it actually was. "I lost my freedom for two months. Two months, Cutler. I needed to get out, I needed to be able to see something other than the estate!"

"I am your husband," he growled. "And you are expected to listen to me. I would have taken you out somewhere if you had asked. I would have hosted a party for some reason or another for you to be able to socialize, but as I recalled years ago you were never one for large gatherings."

"And you would have invited everyone in Port Royal but my father," Lydia scoffed. She felt herself be violently turned around by the right arm. Lydia let out a whimper of pain at the sudden aggravation of that old injury.

"Do not presume to defy me again, Lydia," Cutler hissed. "Neither of us are fools; you know I'm a dangerous man to cross."

"And what will society say if something mysteriously happened to me?" Lydia snapped, now smirking. She felt her control slipping away. She was hardly thinking about the words that were coming out of her mouth. Perhaps her trip to her cove strengthened her a little too much. She found herself not caring about the consequences of her words and actions. "Who would be one of the first people to be blamed? Certainly not my father since you haven't allowed him to be anywhere near me. Who would be the only logical-" She then felt a sudden, sharp pain across her left cheek. She looked down at the ground for a second, trying to get what happened to register in her mind.

Cutler had just slapped her.

"I warned you not to defy me," he growled. Lydia took a breath and looked up at her husband. The action made her blood boil. Now she almost did want to defy him, just to see how far he would go. The rational part of her begged her to stop now while she was still somewhat unhurt, but her fury wasn't listening. Not in the slightest.

"Oh look," Lydia said, her voice cold. "Another reason for you to keep me confined here. We can't show my face to society and ruin your reputation of an honorable man, now can we?" Cutler's nostrils flared and he pulled her closer to him.

"Have mind for your health and tempt me no further," he hissed. "Or I may do something that the both of us will regret." Cutler let go of Lydia and stormed out of the room. A few seconds later, she could hear the sound of something fragile being smashed to the ground. Lydia took a deep breath and sat down on her bed. Was she angry? Definitely. But she was also scared of what her husband was capable of, afraid of whether or not she would take something too far and risk Elizabeth's life, craving the thrill of escaping from underneath Cutler's nose, missing her father and freedom immensely, and on top of all that, she was also worried about whether or not she was pregnant.

No wonder she'd stopped caring about her own health.

Lydia gently touched her stinging cheek with her hand and rubbed it gently. It was definitely going to leave a mark, meaning that she definitely wasn't going to be allowed out of the house, or even the bedroom, until it healed. She wondered just how stir-crazy she would get and feared what sort of actions she would commit when he finally lost her mind.

Later that night, when Cutler returned to their bedroom, he kissed as if he actually cared for her and murmured apologies that Lydia knew he didn't mean. Yet even with this knowledge, she still willing let him take her to bed. Such were the complexities of marriage, Lydia supposed.

* * *

Kitty sat in the bone cage with Will and some of Jack's crew. She wasn't surprised to see Gibbs amongst them, based on Elizabeth's recollections of the ordeal with Barbossa, but it still shocked for some reason. Also in the cage was a little man named Marty, the tongueless Cotton, a Chinese man, and a man with tattoos and dark skin. She looked up at the ropes keeping the cage suspended. If it snapped, they'd be plunged into the ravine below and almost certainly killed. "I don't understand," Will said. "Why would he do this to us? If Jack is the chief-"

"Aye. The Pelegostos have made Jack their chief. But he only remains chief as long as he acts like a chief," Gibbs explained.

"So he's as much prisoner as us?" Kitty asked. "Alice as well?"

"Worse, as it turns out. You see, the Pelegostos believe that Jack is a god in human form and that Alice is his queen. And they intend to do them the honor of releasing them from their fleshy prison," Gibbs explained. Cotton suddenly took Gibb's hand and bit down hard. Gibbs let out a yelp and took his hand back. "Alice gets roasted and eaten first. After, Jack has feasted on is goddess, they'll roast him and eat him next." Kitty gasped and looked up. She placed a hand over her heart and shook her head. Her sister was going to die if they didn't get out of here. They needed to escape. They needed to save Jack and Alice.

"Where's the rest of the crew?" Will asked.

"These cages we're in weren't built 'till after we got here," Gibbs explained. Kitty and Will both widened their eyes in disgust and let go of the cages. The echo of drums suddenly filled the canyon. Screams and yells filled the air as the Pelegostos celebrated. "The feast is about to begin. Jack's life Will end… when the drums stop. "

"Well, we can't just sit here and wait then, can we?" Will said.

"What are we going to do?" Kitty asked. "Swing the cages towards the cliff-faces?" All of the men in the cage turned to look at each other, apparently considering the plan. Kitty dropped her jaw. They weren't serious, were they? They weren't actually considering her offhanded idea. She didn't even think it would work.

"It's not a bad plan," Gibbs said. Will shrugged and charged at the side of the cage, trying to propel it forward.

"Come on!" Will said. Kitty and the rest of the men stood up and shifted their weight towards the front of the cage. They moved back and forth, their collective weights moving the spherical cage. The other cage full of pirates seemed to pick up on the idea and tried to copy it. Within at least half an hour, they had manage to be extremely close to getting to the cliff-face in front of them. They screamed as the bone cage was propelled forward, making Kitty's stomach almost fly into her throat. In one swing, they were a hair's breadth away from the vines. In the second, they merely caught some grass and fell backwards. In the last swing, both groups had managed to grab onto some of the vines.

"Put your legs through! Start the climb!" Gibbs shouted.

"Come on men!" Will shouted as they started to climb. "It'll take all of us to Crew the Black Pearl!"

"Actually, you wouldn't need everyone. About six would do," another pirate from the other cage said. Kitty widened her eyes and looked at each cage. Her cage had seven. The other had six. Only one group needed to get up the cliff to escape... and the group that didn't make it would definitely be left behind. "Oooh dear."

Will and Gibbs exchanged a very tense, panicked look. "Hurry!" Will shouted. Kitty work every muscle in her arms and legs to work as she helped frantically climb the cliff. Her eyes darted backwards after a few minutes of climbing and she saw a native walking across the rickety wooden bridge.

"Stop!" Kitty hissed in a whisper. "Stop! Pelegostos!" Will and the rest of her cage stopped. The other cage paused for a moment. The pirate leading the cage put a finger to his lips and then motioned for his cage to resume climbing. Kitty widened her eyes and shook her head. They were going to get them all killed if they kept going! She watched as they ascended, hate filling her gaze.

Suddenly, she heard one of them shout, "Snake!" The men all screamed and let go. Kitty couldn't watch as the cage plummeted down. She heard a snap and knew their rope had broken. They screamed until Kitty couldn't hear any other sound but that of breaking bone.

"Oh my god," she breathed out.

"Move!" Will shouted as the native began to run back to the rest of the tribe. Kitty grabbed the vines and helped frantically move the cage up the side of the cliff. They didn't have the luxury of time anymore; if they were caught and stopped they would certainly be killed. If they let go even for a second, they would also die. Kitty refused to die before finding her husband and watching her son grow up. She was going to work damn hard to live through this.

* * *

Alice sat silently next to Jack as the primitive, tribal drum beats filled the air. Some of the natives were painted to almost look like skeletons. Two more came up to Jack, giving him a necklace of human toes. Alice had to resist the urge to vomit at the sight. "Thank you," he said. He took a bite of the tip of a nail, chewed it and spat it back out. Alice arched an eyebrow at him, trying to convey her disgust without words. Jack merely shrugged and watch as the tribal festivities kept going on. A pyre was being built, flames already licking the palm wood. Alice tried to calm her breathing and appear as stoic as possible. That was her pyre... that was her deathbed. She felt more afraid than she ever had in her entire life. Being burned alive and eaten was the last way Alice wanted to die.

Jack suddenly got up, motioning wildly with his hands, "No! No no. Oi, no no! More wood. Big fire. Big fire! I am chief, want big fire! C'mon then. Oi!" Alice resisted smirking. She knew that he was stalling while he thought of an escape. He turned around and motioned for the guard behind the thrones to come forwards. "Maboogey snickle snickle. Toute suite. C'mon. More wood!" Jack smiled when he saw that he wasn't being watched. He grabbed Alice by the arm and ran off, dragging Alice along with him.

"This is your plan?" Alice hissed. "What about the crew? What about my sister?"

"If I know Will, he's already figured something out," Jack whispered back as they ran. "Come on!" They reached a rickety bridge that creaked with each of Alice and Jack's footsteps. They ran through an abandoned part of the village. Jack was nearly at the edge of a cliff when Alice pulled him back.

"Don't die, it's bad for your health," Alice said with a smirk. Jack rolled his eyes and looked around, formulating a plan in his head. He smiled when he saw the long pole of bamboo at his feet. He picked one up and smiled. When he saw Alice's, 'are-you-fucking-kidding-me-that's-really-your-plan" look, his smile faltered and he dropped the bamboo pole. He ran into one of the huts and saw numerous items that looked like they'd been stolen off merchant vessels and the like. Weapons, silver tea sets, and chests of clothing filled the tent. Alice picked up a rope and handed it to Jack, who smiled. He, on the other hand, decided to pick up a tin of paprika emblazoned with the East India Trading Company crest. The two stepped outside, ready for their escape.

Unfortunately, the Pelegostos were out there, waiting to recapture them.

"Oh bugger," was all Jack had to say when faced with the hundreds of natives. Alice shot him an annoyed look. Suddenly, he started to sprinkle himself with the paprika. "A little seasoning, eh?" He tipped some into Alice's blonde hair, staining it slightly red. He then sprinkled it into his armpits and threw the can away. Alice and the Pelegostos all stared at Jack in confusion as he sniffed his own armpits.

So Alice wasn't too confused as to why they were tied together on two poles of bamboo with the rope they tried to filch, being carried over to the fire to be eaten, less than half an hour later. Apparently the Pelegostos changed their mind as to when each of their deities got eaten. They had practically placed Alice's back into Jack's chest. She was able to feel his every breath against her. "Well done," Jack said as they stared into the fire. Alice felt her eyes water and burn as the smoke filled their eyes.

Now what were they going to do?


	37. Dead Man's Chest: Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now, on a serious note, I want to include a trigger warning for the first chunk of this chapter. I'm not ashamed to spoil part of my story in case any of my readers are triggered by mentions of sexual assault. So if you are triggered by this, please please PLEASE just skip down to where it starts in Alice's point of view. 
> 
> If you still want to read the first portion of Lydia's point of view, I'll include a bold, underlined, and italicized astrisk where potentially triggering stuff starts. Thank you.

It had been a total of five weeks since her first time escaping the house. Though in those five weeks, she'd figured out how to get out with and without her husband's permission. Sometimes she would go down to the shore with Cutler, claiming that it was a nice day and that she wanted to see the water and ships. Since their fight, Cutler had become slightly more reasonable on the matter of when she was able to leave the estate.

Today, however, was not one of those days.

Lydia was creeping back towards the house and slipped in through the window. She quickly changed into a simple, apple green down and stored her change of men's clothing under her armoire. So far Cutler hadn't found them. She'd barely had time to sit down and open a book when Cutler stormed into the room. "Again, Lydia? Really?"

"What are you talking about?" Lydia asked, her eyes narrowed in confusion. She stared at her book, not looking up at her husband.

"According to Mary, you weren't in the estate today," Cutler growled. Lydia sat up and turned to look at Cutler.

"Of course I was," Lydia said in annoyance. "I've been wandering the house more than usual today, so perhaps she merely couldn't find me. But I was here. Do you truly trust me so little now?"

"You act as if either of us trusted the other to begin with," Cutler said with a snort as he sat down on the bed.

"True," Lydia said. "Though it seems that you're the only one who really benefits from this marriage."

"Well that was the idea, dearest," Cutler replied. "You're not about to go on another spiel about how I've supposedly robbed you of all freedom, are you?" Lydia rolled her eyes and turned back to her book, wanting to ignore her clearly ill-tempered husband. "I thought not." Lydia tensed her jaw and clenched the book of Shakespearean sonnets tighter. She took a long, slow breath and tried to calm her mind. Over the last weeks, she'd begun to figure out that the Nereid part of her hated not being in control. It hated that this man had every say in every little thing she did. She needed to stay calm, or she'd lash out and more than likely regret it. "Don't let me stop you from saying what's on your mind. I can tell that something is dying to escape your lips."

"I'm saying nothing because I don't want either of us to regret the actions that could follow," Lydia replied, her voice cold. Cutler let out a ghost of a laugh and stood up, taking slow, deliberate steps towards her.

"Do you know why I'm in such a foul mood today?" he asked her. Lydia shook her head, not looking up at him.

"A trade didn't go as planned?" she guessed. She could honestly care less as to what upset her husband.

"A man by the name of Gillette told me something rather interesting," Cutler said. Lydia stiffened and kept staring at the words in the book; words she was no longer paying attention too. "Something that gives me reason to believe that you haven't been entirely honest with me about what happened two years ago."

"Since when have either of us been honest to each other?" Lydia replied. "Whatever it is, you shouldn't pay much heed to it."

"Oh, but I should," Cutler said. "He told me of a conversation he overheard just days before our wedding." Lydia narrowed her eyes, trying to think of what all she spoke with her father about. Nothing they talked about was incriminating... unless Gillette heard what she and her father talked about in her secret cove. No one but she and her father knew about that cove. If Gillette had found it by following her... But he wouldn't have been following her unless he was ordered too.

"You ordered Gillette to follow me," Lydia said.

"Of course I did," Cutler said. "I wasn't going to let you run around Port Royal without my eyes following you. But that's not what we're talking about. What we're talking about is the fact that he overheard you and your father discussing the late Hector Barbossa." He bent down in front of Lydia and took her by the chin, forcing her head up to meet his icy gaze. "You lied to me. You said you hated every moment on that ship. Yet you were clearly heard speaking of how you had loved him and continue to miss him."

"Yes," Lydia said. "I was in love with Hector Barbossa. Are you happy now? What concern of is it to you anyway? He's dead! He's long dead!"

"It is my concern because I believe your feelings for him remain," Cutler spat. "I can see it in your eyes. You would choose him over me."

"I would," Lydia snapped, standing up. "I would in a heartbeat. Because even he wasn't as much of a cruel, heartless son of-" The next moment she felt a sharp pain across her cheek. Lydia glared at the ground for a moment, fuming at her husband's actions. Now the Nereid within was sufficiently angry beyond reason. She let out a grunt as her own arm swung toward's Cutler's face. He grabbed her wrist smoothly and pulled her closer to him.

"You dare to try and strike your husband?" he hissed.

"You've dared to strike me twice!" Lydia shouted. His tight grip felt as if it were very well going to bruise. The Nereid seemed to have no filter on her mouth as she said, "Do you know how I've dealt with sharing a bed with you every night? I think of him, not you." These words seemed to drive Cutler over the edge. His nostrils flared dangerously and his eyes grew very dark and cold. **_(*)_**

The next instant, Cutler's lips were on hers. Lydia struggled against him, trying to escape his grasp. He took her other wrist as she attempted to slap him again. She tried to stay exactly where she was as he attempted to drag her over towards the bed. "Stop it!" she shouted as he threw her against the bed. She tried to get up and run off, but Cutler had her pinned down too quickly. "Cutler, stop it!" His lips moved to her neck while one hand moved down towards her skirts.

"Are you thinking of him now, dearest?" he growled as his teeth scraped against her skin. Lydia flailed her legs, trying to escape him. Her skirts had been pushed up almost to her thighs.

"Cutler, stop it!" Lydia cried out. Tears were beginning to stream down her face as she figured out what was very nearly going to happen. "Stop it! Please!" Cutler suddenly looked up and the two met gazes. Lydia watched as the furious, lustful gaze softened and melding into a gaze full of panic and disgust. In an instant, Cutler had practically jumped off of her. Lydia lied there on their marriage bed, hot tears fall down her face. Her lower lip was quivering as she tried to hold back her fear.

"Lydia, I don't know what came over me," he said, breathing heavily. He almost looked disturbed by what he'd nearly done, not that Lydia felt any sense of pity for this monstrous man. "I'm so-"

"Get. Out," she hissed, her voice quivering. "Now."

"Lydia, please forgive-"

"Cutler. Just go," she snapped. She rolled on her side, not daring to face him. The last thing she wanted was to see his face right now.

"I didn't mean to-"

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" she finally shouted, throwing a pillow. There was a tense silence hanging in the room as she stared towards the window and started to sob. She didn't want to expose this weakness towards him... but it was too late now. "Just leave me alone."

"I'm sorry," she heard Cutler whisper. She heard his footsteps go further away from her as he left the bedroom, gently shutting the door behind him. A few moments later she heard a loud crash, a loud thumping sound, and a very loud, " _DAMN IT!_ " echo through the house. Lydia didn't know how long she laid there crying, nor did she particularly care. She heard the doors open and the soft footsteps of her maid, Mary.

"Lord Beckett asked me to bring your dinner here," Mary said softly as she set the tray of food on the nightstand in front of Lydia. "He said he figured you wouldn't want to dine with him."

"His assumption is correct," Lydia said, her voice somewhat raspy from crying. "Leave me, Mary. I wish to be alone for a while." Mary nodded and left the room, though not before taking her mistress's hand and squeezing it tightly. Lydia let out a faint smile and squeezed Mary's hand back. It felt reassuring to know that at least one person in this house cared for her well being.

* * *

Alice looked up with Jack as they saw one native run across the bridge with a torch in his hand. The natives cheered as the one with the torch came closer. Meanwhile, Alice felt a rising sense of dread with each of his steps. She looked at Jack. This was possibly the every end for the two of them. "Aii, fai fai!" the native with the torch shouted as the rest of the tribe went silent.

"Aii, fai fai!" the rest of the tribe echoes. The native bent down to light the pyre (because the current flames barely even made smoke at the moment) but was stopped when another of the cannibals ran to the center of the ceremony.

"La esta so, la pelesa so. Eva kaka seisei," the teenage Pelegostos native shouted. They all paused and looked around in confusion.

"Well, go on, go get them! Helalla!" Jack suddenly commanded. Alice narrowed her eyes in confusion and looked up at Jack... well, she more looked up at his chin than anything.

"Helalla!" the Pelegostos shouted as they ran off. The one holding the fire let the torch drop, the flames now licking the edges of the smoking wood.

"No no, oi! No no. Not good," Jack shouted. He struggled in the bindings, trying to get free and get out. Alice struggled too, but to no avail. Jack began to blow on the flames, trying to send it away from them, only to end up getting some embers flying in their direction. The kindling suddenly flared up in flame. Alice gulped as she felt the heat draw closer. Jack, on the other hand, kept blowing on the fire even faster.

"Jack, stop, you're making it worse!" Alice snapped. "We need to somehow get this pole off the spit."

"I have an idea!" Jack shouted. "But you might punch me in the face for it later."

"Oh God, we're dead," Alice moaned.

"Act like you're jumping," Jack said. "Or if you prefer, act like you're blowing the grounsils." Alice turned her head towards Jack and arched an eyebrow. Was this really the time for the use of a euphemism for sex? Alice went with it anyway, and sure enough the pole started to bend and almost fly up from the spit. After a few goes at this, the pole flew out of the spit, sending Jack and Alice to the ground. As the two were sent rolling, Jack managed to pry apart the ropes binding their feet.

"This is great and all, but we're still tied up," Alice said.

"I'll run, you hang tight," Jack said as he got up. Alice groaned, knowing that she wouldn't be able to do anything anyway. Her feet weren't anywhere near the ground while Jack was standing. Curse her pathetic height...

* * *

Kitty heaved and shifted her weight forward as they finally got the bone cage over the ledge of the cliff. They were back on solid land at last. Unfortunately they had a horde of psychotic cannibals that would eat them if they got caught. "Cut it loose! Find a rock!" Kitty found a rock nearby and sliced at the rope, watching the fibers of vine break as she frantically sliced. When the rope was cut, Kitty had no time to feel any relief. The next moment, a horde of screaming, armed cannibals was rushing at them. "Roll the cage!" Will shouted.

Kitty and the rest of the men ran against the sides of the cage, rolling it across the ground. They didn't need much effort though, because soon they were rolling down a large hill. Everyone let out screams as they were forced against each other while the cage rolled. Through the jungle. The world seemed to swirl around Kitty as she felt the rising sense of dizziness from some much spinning. The cage rolled over a small cliff, thrusting the cage into the air. She let out high scream as the cage seemed to fly for a moment. The cage rolled up the side of a palm tree before crashing down. She fell on top of Gibbs and Will.

The denizens of the bone cage didn't even have a second to collect themselves. The horde of cannibals was already rushing towards them again, yelling their war cries in their native tongue. "Lift the cage!" Will shouted.

"Lift it like a lady's skirt!" Gibbs shouted.

" _Excuse_ me!?" Kitty snapped as she lifted the cage up her legs. She held onto the bones and ran with the crew, not really reacting when Marty was rendered nearly useless because of his height. Kitty was panting and felt a burning sensation in her nose and throat. She couldn't remember the last time she'd run this fast and hard. In fact, she doubted that she ever had.

"RUN!" Will shouted as they ran through the tall grass of the island. They ran forward, not caring where they were going. Suddenly, Kitty felt the ground drop beneath her feet. She and the other men screamed at the top of their lungs as they found themselves plummeting downwards, into a darkened and narrow ravine. She felt the sensation of all her organ flying into her throat as they fell down into the darkness. The cage landed in the water below with a loud crack. Kitty felt the hard impact of the water, her entire back now stinging. How could water possibly hurt this much?

She felt someone take her arm and pull her towards the surface. Kitty gasped for breath as she met Will's eyes. "Thank you," she breathed out, spitting salty water out of her mouth.

"This way lads!" Gibbs shouted as the rag-tag group began to swim through the watery tunnels. Behind them, Kitty heard scream and then felt the rush of something flying past her head. She turned around for a second to see that the cannibals were throwing their spears at them. Kitty swam as fast as she could to the nearest source of cover. If they could hide long enough, maybe the cannibals would go away or assume they drowned. They looked up and watched as the natives came around to the next hole. Kitty closed her eyes as she braced herself for death. But the arrows and spears never came.

One of the native children showed up, shouting in their language, "Manka! Ma estoto. Ma estoto," the child said. The Pelegostos all turned around and ran off, screaming bloody murder.

"I think Jack and Alice escaped," Kitty muttered. Will silently nodded and the group and they swam towards the opening at the end of the watery tunnels, desperate to get back to the Pearl.

* * *

Lydia had hardly moved in the last week. Thankfully, Beckett made no effort to be with her since then. Perhaps he truly did have some remorse over what had happened... not that it made any difference to Lydia. She was almost sure that she would never forgive him for his actions. She almost felt as if she were a hollow shell of a human being. Actually, it was almost as if she was feeling nothing. Nothing at all. Part of her almost wanted to just do something to where she ended up wherever Hector had ended up when he was killed by Jack. Yet she knew if she did that then her father would have no one in Port Royal besides Little James. Little James probably wouldn't have anyone.

She suddenly heard a soft frantic knocking on the door. Just by the tone, she knew it couldn't have been Beckett. The door opened and Lydia saw a face she didn't think she would have missed. The maid who entered the room was none other than Astrid, her maid from when she lived with her father. "Astrid?" she breathed out. "What are you doing? You can't be here, Beckett will-"

"I have a message from your father," she said, frantically pulling a letter from her apron. "I didn't read it, I don't know what it says. It's probably for the best. All I know is that you're supposed to follow the instructions exactly." Lydia nodded and hugged her former maid.

"Thank you," Lydia said. "I owe you so much, but you need to get out of here. If Beckett catches you..." Lydia shook her head and let out a shaky breath. "I don't want to imagine what he'd do." Astrid nodded her head and quickly left the room, shutting the door behind her. Lydia quickly opened the letter and looked at the words. It was brief, as if her father had hastily scratched it down.

_ Get to the docks by midnight. Find a way, I don't care how. Don't let Beckett know. _

Lydia memorized those three sentences as fast as she possibly could and then lit the paper on fire at the nearest candle. She grabbed a porcelain washing bowl and set the burning letter on it, careful not to let any ashes spill. She could toss the ashy remains into the fireplace later. No one would suspect extra ashes in a fireplace. She took a breath and strengthened her resolve. She couldn't lie down and pity herself right now. Now was the time for her to take action. Whatever it was her father was planning, she knew it meant an opportunity to get away from Port Royal. Lydia only prayed that they would succeed in whatever this plot was. She didn't want to imagine Beckett's fury if he discovered what her father was up to...


	38. Dead Man's Chest: Chapter 10

"I hate this," Alice said as Jack ran over the rickety bridge, his back hunched because of the pole.

"I know, love," Jack said.

"You better make this up to me if we get out of this alive," she snapped.

"Trust me, I will," Jack said as he kept running.

"And I'm not talking about sex," Alice clarified. She heard Jack mutter something unintelligible under his breath as he ran. They ran into a part of the village that seemed completely clear. "Let's get these ropes off."

"Agreed," Jack said. The two pirates started struggling against the ropes, trying to pry themselves free from their bindings. Alice suddenly looked up and saw one of the natives sitting there, a fork and knife in his hand.

"Oh shit," Alice said.

"What?" Jack asked. He looked over to where Alice was staring and saw the native. Wait... the native had a knife. A knife! She and Jack looked at each other and she immediately knew they had the same idea. He shuffled over to the boy, plucked the knife from his hand, and didn't stop to watch as the boy ran away from the two of them. Jack handed the knife to Alice, who started to cut the bindings by her chest. "Alice, put the knife down."

"Why?" Alice asked. She looked up and saw two more natives holding platters of fruit. "Oh shit." Suddenly she felt herself being moved forward. Jack was stupidly charging towards the two villagers while screaming at the top of his lungs. Alice was not at all surprised when they merely stepped away and he ending up impaling the end of the bamboo pole into a pile of coconuts. "Nicely done."

"Hush you," he muttered. He suddenly smirked and spun around, sending the coconut flying at one of the villagers. The villager caught it, none to pleased with the coconut milk covering her face.

"Aaaand you upset the cannibal. Well done, you idiot," Alice snapped. Suddenly, the two native women began to thrown the fruit they were carrying at her and Jack. She let out a squeal as one of them hit her in the face. The citrusy juice began to make her eye sting. Jack spun around, catching one of the pieces of fruit on the end of the bamboo pole. He kept spinning around more and more.

"Stop it!" Jack finally shouted. Alice looked up, only opening the eye that wasn't stinging from citrus fruit juice. She saw that both ends of the pole had multiple hunks of fruit skewed on it. She rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Aaaaand now we're a kebab," Alice said with a snort. "We just got more appetizing."

"Alice, hold on," Jack said. "I'm going to do something stupid."

"Oh shit," she muttered. Jack suddenly started screaming and charged towards the short stone wall. Alice screamed as they flipped forward over the gap between land. Jack stuck the landing, balancing on the edge of the cliff. "We lived. We actually lived." Suddenly, she looked up and saw that some of the fruit was beginning to move downwards. Their balance was lost and the two were suddenly falling down the ravine, screaming their heads off. The pole caught between the cliff-faces and the rope suddenly started uncoiling. Alice screamed as they spun around and around as the rope untangled. Jack was left

caught by the foot while Alice had to grasp onto his arm for dear life. "Drop me and I will haunt you for eternity!" She screamed. Her legs flailed as she dangled there, relying only on Jack to stay alive.

"Bugger," she heard Jack mutter. She looked up and watched with widened eyes as the pole began to slip downwards, dislodging itself from the rocks. "Don't let go." The two screamed loudly as they began to fall. Jack held onto Alice's wrist tightly as they fell, crashing through plank bridge after plank bridge. Her limbs flailed around as if she was subconsciously trying to hold onto something that wasn't there. She suddenly felt Jack's arms pull her closer to him as they fell.

Jack landed on the ground with a hard thump. Alice landed on top of him, nearly kneeing him in the crotch. She turned and looked up, seeing the bamboo pole falling towards them. It landed almost right next to Jack's head. Alice and Jack looked from it to each other. They'd nearly had their heads speared through. The rest of the fruit fell with soft squishes around Jack and Alice.

Alice suddenly felt her head being pulled towards Jacks. He captured her lips in a kiss, his hands running up and down her sides. The euphoria of actually surviving that fall drove Alice to respond eager to that kiss, even if the rational part of her was still extremely angry with Jack for even getting them into that mess to begin with. She broke the kiss and then slapped him sharply across the face. "Sorry, just glad we lived through that," Jack said.

"Same," Alice said. "Now let's get to the Pearl before the Pelegostos catch us." The two heard loud screaming no sooner than the words had left Alice's mouth. They sprung to their feet and immediately started sprinting as fast as they could towards the beach. Alice didn't dare look back in fear of how many angry cannibals were chasing them.

* * *

When Kitty and the rest of the crew made it to the Black Pearl, they were surprised to see that two men were already there and readying the ship for sail. "Pull loose the mooring line!" one of them shouted. "The mooring line! Pull loose the mooring line!" The other man appeared by the rail, pointing at a small monkey that had something indistinguishable in his hands.

"It's got me eye!" the skinny man shouted back.

"Well how'd you get it back last time?" the other man asked.

"Excellent!" Gibbs said with a smile, patting that man on the back. "Our work's half done!"

"We done it for you! Knew you'd be coming back for it," the man said. Kitty narrowed her eyes. It was extremely clear to her that those two men had intended on stealing the ship from them. Suddenly a hint of recognition hit her. Weren't those two pirates some of the ones that had been arrested two years ago when Elizabeth and Lydia had been kidnapped?

"Make ready to sail, boys!" Gibbs shouted.

"What about Jack?" Will asked. "I won't leave without him."

"And Alice," Kitty added in annoyance. She swore that Will could be so one-track-minded most days. If it wasn't his concern, it didn't seem to matter at all.

Suddenly, a score of screaming filled the air. Jack and Alice were running frantically along the beach while the horde of angry cannibals chased them. Will and Kitty exchanged glances and both gulped. "Time to go," Will said. He took Kitty's arm and they ran towards the ship.

"Cast off those lines!" Gibbs shouted, his voice higher pitched than usual. Jack got closer to the ship as the crew climbed up a cargo net. "Make ready to cast off!"

"Not without us, you're not!" Alice snapped as the darted ahead of Jack. Kitty saw that the top of her head was covered in some ruddy, powdery substance and her eye almost seemed bloodshot and swollen shut. Kitty helped Alice climb into the ship while Jack stayed on the cargo net for a second.

"Alas, my children," Jack said. "This is the day you shall always remember as the day that you almost-" Jack was cut off as a large wave crashed onto the side of the ship, soaking him from head to toe. He spat out sea water and began to climb up the net, though not before muttered, "Captain Jack Sparrow." Kitty rolled her eyes and looked at Alice, who was trying to get that red powder out of her blonde hair.

"Are you alright?" Kitty asked as she took her sister's arms.

"A bit sore, but I'll live," Alice said. "You?"

"Fine," Kitty said. She suddenly hugged Alice, who hugged her back with as much enthusiasm. "My God, I've missed you so much!"

"Me too!" Alice said as she hugged her sister tighter. "I wanted to say something earlier, but I couldn't. The Pelegostos-"

"Gibbs told me," Kitty said. "They thought you were a mute goddess." Alice nodded.

"How have you been?" Alice asked. "How's father? Lyddie? Liz? Hell, I even care about how Borington's been."

"Then I suppose that makes me Mrs. Borington to you," Kitty said as she pulled away from the hug. She held up her hand to show her wedding ring. Alice widened her eyes and smiled.

"I'm so happy for you!" Alice said. "Looks like Norrington has a pair after all." Kitty nodded, ignoring the slight towards her husband.

"I have a son," Kitty said. "James Norrington II. But the family all calls him Little James."

"I have a nephew?" Alice asked, still holding onto her sister's forearms. "How old is he?"

"He'll be about six months now," Kitty said sadly, looking down.

"And you left him!?" Alice snapped. "Why?"

"James is missing," Kitty said. "You didn't know that?" Alice shook her head.

"We just assumed he stopped chasing us a few months ago," Alice said. Jack finally made his way up to the deck and staggered for a moment. The two somewhat familiar pirates came up behind Jack and rested a coat on his shoulders. Alice left Kitty briefly to march up to Jack and slap him hard across the face. The next instant, she was kissing the pirate. Kitty tilted her head in confusion and looked at Gibbs.

"Not unusual for them," he whispered to her. Alice pulled away from the kiss and stood there as Jack wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Let's put some distance between us and this island and head out to open sea," Gibbs said.

"Yes to the first, yes to the second, but only as so far as we keep to the shallows as much as possible," Jack said. He furrowed his brow in confusion as he looked at the two unfamiliar pirates. The heavier one saluted him as he met Jack's gaze.

"Now, that seems a bit contradictory, Captain," Kitty said as she stepped up to the scene.

"Aye," Gibbs agreed.

"I have every faith in your reconciliatory navigational skills, Master Gibbs. Now, where is that monkey? I want to shoot something," Jack said, his eyes full of half-murderous intent. There was a loud squeal and the monkey tossed a small wooden sphere onto the deck.

"Jack," Kitty said, stepping forward. "I need to warn you about something. Before Will and I left Port Royal, Lydia was having nightmares. She said that were was some sort of monster in the waters. Something is looking for a man marked with a Black Spot." For moment she detected a flicker of fear in the eyes of Alice and Jack. It seemed that they knew what this 'Black Spot' was. "Just thought you should know."

"I'll keep that in mind... uh... Kitty, right?" Jack replied. Kitty nodded.

"Kitty Norrington, formerly Swann," she said, reintroducing herself. "I never really spoke with you the last time we met."

"So you're the one that married that git?" Jack was quiet for a moment and then he spoke again. "As I recall, you slapped me the last time I saw you. Not sure I deserved that."

"Yeah you did," Alice said, untangling herself from Jack's arms. "I think Prince Charming over there wants a word," she nodded over towards Will who was anxiously pacing around the deck. "I'll go ahead and give Kitty the grand tour of the Black Pearl." She took Kitty by the hand and lead her away from Jack. Not that Kitty was complaining; now she could spend some time catching up with her little sister and maybe hear stories of her adventures in the last two years.

* * *

Lydia was almost overjoyed when a soldier stopped by the estate to tell her that her husband would be working late tonight. How in the world did she get so lucky? The one night she needed him out of the house and he was working late. She went into his wardrobe and took out a few articles of clothing that she could use as a disguise. She ended up pulling a pair of brown trousers, a faded green coat that looked like Beckett hadn't bothered to wear it for years, and a pale green vest very much in the same state as the coat. She picked up a faded tricorn and tucked her dark tresses inside of it. She quickly opened the bay window and shut it, locking it tightly behind her. With luck, she need never return to this prison of an estate.

With the moonlight shining down upon her, she journeyed far from the estate and walked in the general direction of the docks. She figured that she would not be viewed with suspicion, as long as she kept her head low and her gait casual. She meandered down the darkened streets and watched as the people began to return to their homes for the night. Lydia kept her head lowered, especially when she passed a marine on patrol.

She made her way to the docks at long last and hid behind the nearest set of crates. She would wait here for her father. What was it that he even had planned. On the other side of the docks was a man; a sailor, by the looks of him. He paced around almost anxiously, as if waiting for someone. Was this what her father was planning? Sending her and possibly Elizabeth across the seas? In that case, it was a horrible plan. Cutler would be sure to find her in England.

Suddenly a man approached the docks. Lydia widened her eyes when she saw that it was Mercer. She held back a gasp as she watch Mercer draw his sword and shove it straight into the man's stomach. She covered her mouth in shock and widened her eyes, not daring to make a sound. Mercer didn't even demand any sort of explanation. He'd just killed a man. Mercer took a free hand and took something from the now-dead man; a leather case based on the looks of it. He opened it and seemed to begin reading it, the contents apparently very interesting.

The sound of heavy hoofbeats neared the docks and a whinny filled the air. Lydia looked up and saw the carriage approach. It passed her as it rolled to a stop. Lydia looked inside and immediately met the eyes of Elizabeth. "Lyddie..." she saw Elizabeth say.

"Wait here," the voice of her father commanded. Lydia met Elizabeth's eyes once again and motioned for to get out of the carriage and come with her. Elizabeth slipped out and crept towards Lydia, careful not to be seen.

"Lydia, what's-"

"We don't have time," Lydia whispered. "Father's plan isn't going to work. Mercer's here. He killed whatever contact Father was going to use to get us out. We need those Letters of Marque validated if we're to save Will. His life is the only one I couldn't assure when I married Cutler." Elizabeth nodded and the two women ran, not looking back as the carriage Elizabeth once sat in was surrounded by soldiers.

"Fort Charles then?" Elizabeth asked.

"Fort Charles," Lydia confirmed as they ran towards the fort. Luckily, For Charles wasn't too far away from the docks. Lydia almost guarded Elizabeth from sight as she slinked in the shadows, avoiding the eyes of any soldiers that should appear. When they reached the Fort, Elizabeth was the one who figured out a way to slip in undetected. Once inside, Lydia led Elizabeth to where Cutler's office resided. She felt her pulse rise as she neared that man's office. Her jaw slowly tensed and a deep feeling of anxiety and fear slowly began to sink into her very bones. She didn't want to confront Beckett... not in the slightest.

"Lydia, why are you helping me?" Elizabeth asked. "Beckett will do worse than kill you if he finds you."

"It's not like I have anything left to lose," Lydia whispered back. "Besides, who said that I wasn't coming with you to find Will?"

"You're coming with me?" Elizabeth asked.

"I'm not letting you go alone," Lydia said as they neared Beckett's office. "Besides, I can't stand to spend a moment longer in Port Royal. Like I said... there's nothing for me here. Not anymore." Elizabeth nodded as they finally reached the door to Beckett's office. Luckily, it was unguarded. Carelessness on his part, but beneficial to the Swann sisters. Lydia pushed the door open and looked around. "The letters are on his desk. It doesn't look like he's here. I'll wait outside and warn you if any soldiers show up." Elizabeth nodded and entered the room, shutting the door behind her. After a few minutes, she saw a lantern approaching. She squinted her eyes and saw that Cutler was approaching. She opened the door to the office and slipped inside, locking the door behind her.

"Beckett's coming," she said. She pulled out a gun and smirked. "Good."

"He needs to be alive to sign the documents," Lydia said as she walked further into the room, trying to scout out a good hiding place.

"I don't intend to kill him," Elizabeth said as she followed Lydia. "I just want some assured leverage."

"Smart," Lydia said as she hid behind a bookcase. The door opened and the light of the lantern filled the room. She watched as Cutler set the lantern down on his desk, reading a letter very intently. That's when his gaze shifted to the box that once contained the Letters of Marque. He opened the box and closed it with a sigh.

"No doubt you've discovered that loyalty is no longer the currency of the realm as your father believes," Cutler said. Lydia and Elizabeth looked at each other. Lydia wasn't surprised. Cutler was a cunning, intelligent man. He probably suspect that it was Elizabeth in here from the moment he saw the box had been disturbed.

"The what is?" Elizabeth asked, stepping out from behind the bookcase. Lydia stayed put for the time being. She felt as if she were a coward. She was too afraid to face Cutler, especially now that she was finally getting a chance to flee from him.

"I'm afraid currency is the currency of the realm," Cutler said, turning around. For many moments, the only sounds that could be heard was that of the crashing ocean waves and the crickets chirping in the dead of night.

"I expect then that we can come to some sort of understanding," Elizabeth said, walking towards Beckett. "I'm here to negotiate."

"I'm listening," Cutler said. Elizabeth swung out the gun and cocked it, aiming the barrel at his forehead. "I'm listening intently." Elizabeth held up the Letters of Marque and nodded towards them.

"These Letters of Marque, they are signed by the King?" she asked.

"Yes," Cutler replied. "And they are not valid until they bear my signature and my seal."

"Or else Lydia and I would not still be here," Elizabeth said. Lydia grimaced and fought the urge to strangle her sister. She didn't want Cutler to know she was here. She looked at saw that Cutler had arched an eyebrow.

"Oh, my wife is with you?" Cutler asked. He looked back into the shadows, where Lydia stood out of sight. "Come on out then, dearest. Don't let my presence keep you in the shadows." Lydia took a breath and stepped into sight, walking slowly towards her sister. "Am I truly such a horrid husband that you would steal my clothing and run?"

"Yes," Lydia hissed. "In fact, I'd even let Elizabeth kill you, should she feel the need."

"Remember what I could have done and didn't," Cutler warned.

"You would have had I not stopped you," Lydia said, her voice dark and low. Elizabeth looked between husband and wife, clearly confused as to what they were talking about.

"You sent Will to get you the compass and buy Jack Sparrow, it will do you no good," Elizabeth said, putting her negotiations back on track. She lowered the gun, aiming it at Cutler's chest.

"Do explain," Cutler said.

"I have been to the Isla de Muerta, I have seen the treasure myself. There is something you need to know," Elizabeth said. Lydia narrowed her eyes as Elizabeth took a step closer to Cutler with each word she said. Cutler stepped back everytime Elizabeth came closer. Suddenly, Beckett smirked.

"Aah, I see," he said. "You think the compass leads only to the Isla de Muerta and so you hope to save me from an evil fate. But you mustn't worry." He turned and stepped towards the large painting of a map that sat on the wall. "I care not for cursed Aztec gold, my desires are not so provincial. There's more than one chest of value in these waters. So perhaps you may wish to enhance your offer. Say... return my wife to me?"

"I'm not what's being bargained for," Lydia snapped. "I suggest you listen to my sister."

"Consider it in your calculations that you robbed me of my wedding night," Elizabeth hissed as she moved the barrel of the gun under Beckett's chin and thrust the Letters of Marque into his chest. She motioned for Beckett to follow her towards is desk, where he could sign and seal those letters.

"So I did," Cutler said as he sat down. He took the quill pen from the inkwell and began to sign his name. "A marriage interrupted... or fate intervenes." He held up a stick of wax to the candle and watched as it melted. "Lydia, I hope you realize that I will never stop searching for you, wherever you may run. And I hope you realize that I will paint this as Elizabeth kidnapping her own sister as a bargaining chip for these letters. You can never escape."

"Watch me," Lydia hissed, not daring to look at this man who'd caused her so much pain over these past months. Cutler had taken her family, her virtue, and her freedom. She'd rather die than return to him willingly. Cutler let out a faint smirk as he let the wax drip onto the letters.

"You're not the meek mouse I fell in love with all those years ago," he said as the wax dripped.

"And you aren't the charming businessman that I thought you were either," Lydia said. "Turns out you're much more of a selfish git than that." Cutler's eyes narrowed and his jaw tensed as he pressed his seal into the letters.

"You're making great efforts to ensure Jack Sparrow's freedom, Miss Swann," Cutler said as he handed the letters back to Elizabeth.

"These are not going to Jack," Elizabeth said as grabbed them. Cutler didn't let go.

"Oh, really. To insure Mr. Turner's freedom?" Cutler asked. "I'll still want that compass and you're still stealing my wife in the eyes of the law. Consider that in your calculations." Elizabeth took the letter's from Cutler's hands. The two women backed away from Cutler slowly, Elizabeth's gun still aimed at Cutler. For a moment Lydia could see some hurt in her husband's gaze. Not that his feelings truly mattered to her anymore... not that they really did since long before she met Hector Barbossa. She couldn't bring herself to feel sorry for this man. If he did love her, he sure went about showing it the wrong way. Lydia turned around and ran off into the night with Elizabeth, desperate to leave her life at Port Royal behind her.


	39. Dead Man's Chest: Chapter 11

Lydia couldn't remember a time when she felt more relieved than when the _Edinburgh_ set sail.

She walked about the ship, no one bothering to give her a second glance. Perhaps they all just assumed she was a swab and not worth caring about. They couldn't seem to tell the difference between her and some random boy. Elizabeth stood next to her, mopping the deck of the ship and keeping her head down. "Will this truly work?" Elizabeth whispered to her.

"It should so long as we stay invisible and stay quiet," Lydia whispered back, making sure her voice was a deep a pitch as possible. A few moments later, she heard the sound of sailors bickering on the other side of the deck. When Lydia turned her head, she saw that the sailors were tugging on the fabric of Elizabeth's discarded wedding gown. "They found it."

"I didn't doubt that it'd be found," Elizabeth replied. They heard heavy footsteps and ducked their heads down as the captain passed.

"What's all this?" the captain demanded as he approached the scene. "If you both fancy the dress, you'll just have to share and wear it one after the other." The crew laughed at the captain's words. Lydia feigned laughter, just so that she wouldn't look out of place.

"It's not like that, sir," one of the sailors said. "The ship is haunted!" Lydia furrowed her brow in confusion. They find a dress and immediately assume a haunting?

"Is it now?" he asked. He looked at the heavier-set sailor and arched an eyebrow. "You?"

"There's a female presence amongst us, sir," he said. "All the men, they can feel it." Lydia listened as the sailors echoed their sounds of agreement. She almost wanted to roll her eyes at their stupidity. But perhaps they could use their fear to her advantage... Maybe manipulate that in order to get the ship to travel to Tortuga...

"Belongs to a lady widowed before her marriage, I figure it. Searching for her husband lost the sea," another sailor added.

"A virgin too, likely as not," someone else quipped. Lydia looked over at her sister, who was now lacquering one of the railings. One look from Elizabeth told Lydia that the two were having a similar idea.

"I say that we throw the dress overboard and we hope the spirit follows it," the first sailor said resolutely.

"No! That Will just anger this spirit, sir. What we need to do is to find out what the spirit needs and then just get it back to her," the heavy-set sailor argued. The sailors began to bicker amongst themselves once more, arguing about the best way to deal with the ghostly presence they felt wandered with them.

"Enough! Enough! You're a pair of superstitious goats and it's got the best of ye," the captain snapped. He took the dress from the bickering sailors and held it up. "Now this appears to be as no more that we have a stowaway on board. A young woman, by the look of it. I want you to search the ship and find her." The captain paused and smirked. "Oh, and she's probably naked." Lydia watched as the eyes of all the men suddenly lit up at the prospect of finding a naked young woman. She rolled her eyes at their very obvious lust. Men were all the same, regardless of the clothes on their back. The only one who she knew to be different was long dead. Elizabeth nudged her sister on the arm and motioned for her to follow her. Lydia nodded and set her mop to the side, trying to act under the guise that she was searching for the stowaway. The two went below the deck and looked for the most secluded spot possible.

"I have an idea," Lydia said once they rounded the corner to a store room. "The men think the ship is haunted. We can use that."

"I know," Elizabeth said. "You can use your abilities to further that idea. Random waves against the ship."

"We'll need more than that to get to Tortuga," Lydia said. "We need a clear message that they know is by the supposed ghost."

"If we get the dress, I can probably manipulate it to look like it's floating," Elizabeth said. "But how do we get the message across clearly?" Lydia looked down and shrugged. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the casks of oil for the ship's lanterns. An idea suddenly popped into her head.

"The oil," she breathed out. "Write out 'Tortuga' with the oil. The 'ghost' could knock over a lantern and set the message ablaze. The captain couldn't even ignore that." Elizabeth smiled and nodded her head. Lydia couldn't help but let a small smile grace her face. Yes... this plan was going to work out spectacularly. "We do it tonight. I'll make sure the oil is in place. You handle the rest." Elizabeth nodded and quickly left the storage room. Lydia smirked, knowing that this plan was going to be put into action very soon.

* * *

Kitty spent the past hour being led around the ship and having her ear talked off by Alice. Of course, Kitty didn't blame her sister for wanting to spend a lot of time talking. After all, she'd been forced into being mute for the past two weeks. "And I can make sure there's a hammock in the spare storage room for you. I doubt you want to sleep with the rest of the men. And I know for sure you don't want to be anywhere near my cabin, especially considering a majority of my nighttime activities with Jack."

"You're not wrong," Kitty said with a faint laugh. She looked at her younger sister and suddenly narrowed her eyes. Alice had tattoos now... multiple ones. How had Kitty not noticed up until this point? "Oh, yeah. Tattoos. Can't be a pirate without them."

"How many?" Kitty asked.

"Let's see..." Alice muttered. She started counting with her fingers and muttered unintelligible words to herself. Kitty occasionally caught names of places like, 'India' and 'Singapore.' "Nine."

"Nine?" Kitty asked incredulously. "How many do you plan to get?"

"More than that," Alice replied with a laugh. "Before you ask, yes they hurt a bit. So... motherhood. How's that been going?"

"I miss him," Kitty said softly. "Part of me wishes I would have stayed in Port Royal, but I know that he's safe with Lydia and Father. He has his wet nurse too. But still..."

"I understand," Alice said. "If he's with Lyddie, he's in good hands. Besides, I know you'd regret it if you didn't try and figure out what happened to Borington. Norrington. Sorry... habit." Kitty smiled at took Alice's hand. It meant enough to Kitty that Alice was at least trying not to insult James in front of her. "Speaking of Lyddie, how has she been holding up? Besides the nightmares of that sea monster. I know Barbossa's death couldn't have been easy on her."

"She doesn't talk about it," Kitty said. "At least to me. But I can tell she misses him every day. That kind of heartache doesn't fade easily. The fact that Lord Beckett's in Port Royal worries me."

"I'll kill the bastard if he touches her," Alice growled.

"You say Beckett?" Kitty turned around and watched as Jack swaggered towards them. Alice nodded and allowed her lover to wrap his arms around her waist. "How do you know Beckett?"

"He courted Lydia years ago," Alice said. "He wanted to marry her, but father said no. Now he's in Port Royal."

"I see why that'd worry you," Jack said. "Beckett hates being told no. He likes to ensure that he gets what he wants." Kitty lowered her head and nodded. "You figure out a sleeping arrangement?"

"We did," Alice replied, leaning slightly into Jack's chest. "What's our next course of action?"

"We're going to visit _her,_ " Jack whispered ominously. Alice's eyes lit up and she let out a smile. Kitty, on the other hand, furrowed her brow in clear confusion.

"Who's 'her?'" Kitty asked.

"You'll find out when we get there," Jack said. "Talk to Gibbs about getting a hammock. I'm going to take my lovely second mate up to our cabin." Alice's face began to grow extremely red as she bit her lower lip. Kitty nodded and walked past the two of them, fulling intending on finding Gibbs and getting the mental image of her younger sister sleeping with Jack Sparrow out of her head.

* * *

After a few weeks of sailing as close to shorelines as possible, the _Black Pearl_ finally managed to make its way to the swamps where Tia Dalma resided. Alice personally missed Tia Dalma's company. However, she realized that she didn't miss the company of Will Turner in the slightest. He wouldn't shut up about how time was of the essence and how Elizabeth's life was in danger. While Alice did truly care for the safety of her sister, she was fairly certain that they had more time to save her than what Will was letting on. He always did care about doing things the fastest way rather than the right way when it came to Elizabeth.

Alice was slipping on her boots when Jack burst into the cabin. "Thanks for knocking, love," Alice said. "Not like I could have been naked or anything."

"Nothing I haven't see before," Jack said, rolling his eyes. "We're here. The longboats are being readied as we speak. I'm giving her the monkey for payment."

"If I know her, she'll be able to help," Alice said. She stood up and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. "Come on. Will's probably impatient enough as it is." Jack nodded and led Alice out of the cabin. The longboats were already lowered and the crew was beginning to board them. Alice, Jack, Cotton, Kitty, and Lejon were aboard one longboat while Gibbs, Marty, Will, Pintel, and Ragetti were on the other. They rowed inland, navigating the narrow channels of the dark and haunting swamp. Some may have feared it; Alice loved it. If she hadn't loved the sea and Jack so much, she might have tried to live in a swamp like this.

"Why is Jack so afraid of the open water?" Will asked after a long while. Alice heard him speak and rolled her eyes.

"Well, if you believe such things, there's a beast does the bidding of Davy Jones," Gibbs explained. "A fearsome creature with giant tentacles that suction your face clean off and drag an entire ship down to the crushing darkness. The Kraken. They say the stench of its breath is..." Gibbs shuddered. "Imagine, the last thing you know on God's green earth is the roar of the Kraken and the reeking odor of a thousand rotting corpses... if you believe such things."

"Do you think that's what Lydia's been dreaming about?" Kitty asked Alice in a low voice.

"More than likely," Alice whispered back. She moved her hand to hold onto Jack's. He never really enjoyed having to ask anyone for help, much less Tia Dalma.

"So will the key spare him that?" Will asked.

"Now that's the very question Jack wants answered. Bad enough even to go visit _her_ ," Gibbs said. Alice rolled her eyes. Tia Dalma wasn't that bad of a person, regardless of how much she scared a majority of the crew of the _Black Pearl._

"Her?" Will asked.

"Aye!" Alice said, pointing up ahead. Tia Dalma's shack sat up ahead. By now, the swamp was so dark and thick it was impossible to see any sort of sunlight. The wooden hut was illuminated by the dim orange glow of numerous lanterns. They rowed up to the landing, where a ladder hung to the swamp below. In the trees, Alice could see a number of different voodoo totems. Jack stood up and took a hold of the rickety, wooden ladder.

"No worries, mates. Tia Dalma and I go way back," Jack said. "Thick as thieves. Nigh inseparable we are. Were. Have been. Before." Alice let out a scoff and rolled her eyes.

"I'll watch your back," Gibbs said.

"It's my front I'm more worried about," Jack said.

"Good. You should be worried about it," Alice replied as she stood up. She took the ladder and climbed up past Jack. She heard a long string of 'mind the boats' behind her. Alice let out a laugh when the parrot finally told Cotton to mind the boat and flew up towards the hut. It seemed everyone wanted to see what would happen with Tia Dalma and Jack. Jack crept up to the door and opened it slowly, the parrot flapping behind him. Alice followed closely behind, watching as the dark skinned Tia Dalma looked up from her divining.

"Jack Sparrow," she said slowly as she smiled, revealing her black teeth.

"Tia Dalma," Jack said as he swaggered into the room. He nearly knocked over a jar of eyeballs that was hanging from the ceiling. Alice smiled as she entered the house, stroking the albino snake that hung from one of the rafters.

"I always knowed the wind was going to blow you back to me one day," she said as she stood up and strode towards them. She smiled and pulled Alice into a tight hug. "Alice. It has been too long, sweet girl."

"I completely agree," Alice said hugging Tia Dalma back. "Don't worry; I've kept him in line." Tia Dalma chuckled slowly. Her expression changed, however, when Will entered the hut.

"You," she said as she pointed to him. "You have a touch a' destiny about you, William Turner." Will furrowed his brow in confusion as Tia Dalma stepped closer to him.

"You know me?" Will asked.

"You want to know me?" she asked as she leaned closer to Will.

"There'll be no knowing here," Jack quickly said as he leaped between Will and Tia Dalma. Alice rolled her eyes and laughed. She watched as Kitty awkwardly crept into the hut, clearly uncomfortable with her surroundings. "We've come for help and we're not leaving without it." Jack frowned and looked up and down at Tia Dalma. "I thought I knew you."

"Not so well as I'd hoped," Tia Dalma said, as she walked towards the back room. "But I know Alice better than you would like. Come." Kitty tilted her head and looked between Alice and Tia Dalma. Alice smirked as the concept began to come to Kitty. She would have thought Kitty would handle the idea of her being with another woman better than this.

"Come," Jack echoed, motioning for the rest of the crew to filter in. Will and Kitty both came closer to the table where Jack and Alice were now sitting at. Tia Dalma made sure to sit very close to Will.

"What service may I do ya?" she asked as she caressed Will's face. She turned sharply to Jack and dropped her smile. "You know I demand payment."

"I brought payment," Jack said.

"I could have been payment," Alice muttered under her breath jokingly. This earned her a glare from Jack as he whistled and motioned for the monkey to be brought in. "What?"

"Of all the women I had to fall in love with..." he muttered. He took the cloth off the cage to reveal Jack, the undead monkey, inside. "Look!" He took out his pistol and shot the monkey. The monkey let out a loud screech and backed into the corner of the cage. Kitty let out a gasp of shock and widened her eyes when she realized the monkey was still alive. "An undead monkey. Top that!"

"I have," Alice replied with a smirk. Jack let out an exasperated sigh as he set the cage on the table. Tia Dalma observed the monkey quietly and then opened up the cage, freeing it.

"No!" Gibbs moaned. "You've no idea how long it took us to catch that."

"The payment is fair," Tia Dalma said.

"We're looking for this," Will said as he brought out the piece of cloth with the drawing of the two-pronged key on it. "And what it goes too." Tia Dalma bent down to observe the cloth more carefully.

"The compass you bartered from me, it cannot lead you to this?"

"To be fair, the compass _has_ been a bit wonky since I met this one," Jack said, pointing to Alice. She smirked and shrugged.

"I can't help that I'm a good shag," she replied. Tia Dalma smirked as well and shook her head.

"Ah, I hear you," she said. "Jack Sparrow does not know what he wants. Or do you know but are loath to claim it as your own." Jack had no response and continued to observe whatever item it was he was looking at. Alice noticed that it was a amethyst ring that seemed to catch his eye. "Your key go to a chest. And it is what lay inside the chest you seek. Don't it?"

"What's inside the chest?" Kitty asked as she sat down. "Gold? Jewels?"

"Unclaimed items of a valuable nature?" Pintel asked.

"Nothing bad, I hope," Ragetti said.

"You know of Davy Jones, yes?" Tia Dalma asked as she leaned back in her chair. "A man of the sea. A great Sailor. Until he run afoul of that which vex all men."

"What vexes all men?" Will asked. Alice rolled her eyes and let out a snort. How was that answer not obvious?

"What indeed?" Tia Dalma teased as she drew light circles on the back of Will's hand.

"The sea?" Gibbs asked.

"Sums?" Pintel suggested.

"The dichotomy of good and evil?" Ragetti offered up. Everyone in the room arched an eyebrow at Ragetti's suggestion. They were pirates, for God's sake. Why would they be worried about the dichotomy of good and evil?

"First of all, you have issues," Alice said. "Secondly, you're all idiots."

"A woman," Jack finally said, giving a very pointed look to Alice. She let out a giggle and shrugged.

"A woman," Tia Dalma echoed. "He fell in love."

"No no no no," Gibbs said, shaking his head. "I heard it was the sea he fell in love with."

"Same story, different version and all are true," Tia Dalma said with a dismissive wave of the hand. "See it was a woman as changing, and harsh and untamable as the sea. He never stopped loving her. But the pain it caused him was too much to live with. But not enough to cause him to die." Jack was looking directly as Alice as Tia Dalma described this woman. Alice looked down. Come to think of it, that description seemed to match her unnaturally well. The two would waver and be with other people, but sure as the tide they would come back together. Their hearts never left the other. Was Jack in pain due to his feelings for her? Was Alice?

"What exactly did he put in the chest?" Kitty asked. Tia Dalma moved her hand to her chest and took a deep sigh.

"Him heart," she finally said.

"Literally or figuratively?" Ragetti asked, his eye widening in fear.

"He couldn't literally put his heart in a chest," Pintel snapped. He paused and looked back at Tia Dalma, his eyes full of concern. "Could he?"

"It was not worth feeling what small, fleeting joy life brings," Tia Dalma explained. "And so, him carved out him heart, lock it down in a chest, and hide the chest from the world. The key he keep with him at all times." Will turned to Jack with narrowed eyes.

"You knew this," he said.

"I did not," Jack said. "I didn't know where the key was. But now we do. So, all that's left is to climb aboard the Flying Dutchman, grab the key, you go back to Port Royal and save your bonnie lass, aye?"

"Let me see your hand," Tia Dalma suddenly said as she stood up, holding out her hand. Alice stiffened and looked up at Jack. She knew about the Black Spot. How was it that Tia Dalma seemed to know about everything? Jack paused and turned around. He tentatively held out the marked hand, still covered in the grimy cloth. Tia Dalma unwrapped his hand, slowly revealing the ugly black mark to the rest of the crew.

"The Black Spot!" Gibbs shouted. He dusted himself and spun around in the circle. "The Black Spot."

"It's you!" Kitty breathed out. "The creature Lydia's been dreaming about. It's hunting you!"

"I am not surprised the Nereid has been seeing it. She's had many sleepless nights, though the monster is not the only thing plaguing her sleep," Tia Dalma said with a smirk as Pintel and Ragetti echoed Gibbs's ritual.

"My eyesight's as good as ever, just so you know," Jack said, rolling his eyes. Tia Dalma wandered into the back of her hut, talking to herself as she rooted through pots and pans. Jack took out the same amethyst ring from before, narrowing his eyes at the trinket. Alice looked at it and back up at Jack, arching an eyebrow. Jack merely shrugged before putting the tricket in his pocket. She'd get an explanation one way or another. It was obvious to her that Jack knew the ring from somewhere. Finally, Tia Dalma emerged from the back room, carrying a large jar of dirt with her.

"Davy Jones cannot make port. Cannot step on land but once every ten years. Land is where you will be safe, Jack Sparrow, and so you will carry land with you," Tia Dalma said, handing the jar of dirt to Jack.

"Dirt," he said. "This is a jar of dirt."

"Yes," Tia Dalma said.

"Wow, your eyesight truly does work," Alice said in a deadpan.

"Is the jar of dirt going to help?" Jack asked.

"If you don't want it, give it back," Tia Dalma said, holding out her hands to take back the jar.

"No!" Jack said, holding the jar closer to him. Tia Dalma smirked and nodded slowly.

"Then it helps," she said.

"It seems we have a need to find the Flying Dutchman," Will finally said. Tia Dalma nodded and picked up a large collection of crab claws and shook them in her hands.

"A touch of destiny," she whispered into her hands. She let go of the claws and watched as they scattered across the image of a map. She pointed in a few places, finally letting her index finger settle on one final place. "Here. This is where you will find the Flying Dutchman."

"Thank you," Jack said, still clutching his jar of dirt. "Whelp. We best be on our way then."

"Good luck, Jack Sparrow," Tia Dalma said. "Don't be afraid to visit more often. I enjoy Alice's company."

"That's _why_ I haven't been here in so long," Jack said. He turned around and exited the hut. Alice sighed and stood up, saying a quick farewell to Tia Dalma before leaving the hut. Now they just had a ship to find and a key to recover.


	40. Dead Man's Chest: Chapter 12

Alice sat in the crow's nest, getting the full brunt of the storm that was brewing overhead. Her clothes had already been soaked and her blonde hair was matted against her face. Still, she wasn't complaining. People tended to get wet when they lived on the sea. She narrowed her eyes when she saw what looked like a ship run aground. The wood was rotting, the mast was broken almost cleanly in half, and there were more holes in the frame than Alice could count. This was what they were looking for... possibly. "Shipwreck ho!" she called out. She peered over the edge of the crows nest and watched as Jack nodded

"Aye aye," he shouted back. "Where away?"

"Larboard," she called out. "It's run aground and in bad shape. Broken mast, bilge just about gone, holes in the fore... Survivors doubtful. You'll see it soon enough."

"Aye," Jack called back. "Now get down from there, lass. I don't want you up there with this storm."

"Aye, Cap'n," Alice shouted back. She climbed out of the crow's nest and began to climb down the wooden ladder. When she neared the bottom, her foot slid on one of the rungs and she fell down with a loud thud and a small squeak. Jack started laughing as he swaggered over to her.

"You alright?" he asked as he helped her up.

"Every time..." she muttered to herself as she stood up. She always fell down the last few rungs when she was on lookout duty.

"Why do I let you up there, again?" he asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Because I have better eyes than you old laggers," she replied with a smirk. Jack rolled his eyes and gave her a short, simple peck on the lips. He was certainly acting more affectionate with her since their visit to Tia Dalma. Apparently he was jealous of Alice's flirtations... and he reminded Alice of how good he was in bed later that night. A few moments later, the wreckage on the reef was in clear sight. The two started walking towards the helm, Jack's arm still wrapped around Alice's waist. "I know you, Jack. This can't be the real _Dutchman_."

"Don't let Will hear that," Jack said. "Or the crew, for that matter. But the _Dutchman_ will be here."

"That's the _Flying Dutchman_?" Jack turned around and watched as Will looked out at the wreckage. "It doesn't look like much."

"Neither do you," Jack said. "Do not underestimate it."

"Must've run afoul of the reef," Gibbs said as he stepped up towards them.

"What's your plan?" Jack asked.

"I row over, search the ship until I find your bloody key," William said. Alice nodded and looked back at the crew.

"Lower the longboat!" Alice called out.

"Aye aye!" Pintel and Ragetti responded as they rushed off the carry the order. Alice smirked. They never once disobeyed an order; not since she made it very clear to them that they needed to make up for nearly killing her two years ago. Jack was rather glad she'd put the fear of God in them.

"And if there are crewmen?" Jack asked.

"I cut down anyone in my path," Will said as he walked off towards the longboat.

"I like it," Jack said. "Simple. Easy to remember."

"Unlike a majority of your plans," Alice muttered under her breath. Will grabbed a lantern and walked towards the ladder.

"Your chariot awaits, sire," Ragetti shouted with a loud laugh. Alice let a faint chuckle escape her lips as well. That was actually a pretty good job, considering Will's 'Knight-in-shining-armor' personality.

"Oi!" Jack shouted over the railing. "If you do have to get captured, just say Jack Sparrow sent you to settle his debt. Might save your life." Will gave no indication that he was listening to Jack as he rowed out into the turbulent waters ahead. Jack looked over at Gibbs and quietly said, "Douse the lamps." Gibbs nodded and ran off, giving the quiet order to the rest of the crew. Alice watched as each of the lanterns slowly flickered out, immersing the ship in the darkness. If they were lucky, they wouldn't be found by Davy Jones... but only if they were very lucky.

"Do you think this will work?" Alice asked. Jack merely shrugged and took out his spyglass. "I'll be back in a minute. I want to check on Kitty."

"Don't take long," Jack said as he extended the spyglass. Alice didn't even have to go below deck to find Kitty; she was already making her way up.

"Has he left?" Kitty asked. Alice nodded and pointed out towards the wreckage. "Let's do this fast. I don't want to be here any longer than necessary."

"Agreed," Alice said. Suddenly they heard a loud crash and they watched as a large galleon shot out of the water. The ship looked almost skeletal in the distant flash of lightning. She held in a breath as she watched the massive, decaying ship come closer to the shipwreck.

"You didn't send Will out to the _Flying Dutchman_ , did you?" Kitty asked, her voice low. "You sent him to the _Dutchman_ 's next victim."

"We needed to find the _Dutchman_ and we did," Alice said. "It's not Will's fault he jumps to conclusions. Stay quiet and stay out of the way if a fight happens. You aren't trained with a sword, Kitty. You're a sitting duck waiting to be slaughtered."

"Then teach me when this key is recovered. I hate being useless," Kitty said, her lips pressed into a thin line. Clearly she wasn't happy about this deception. Alice rolled her eyes at her sister and walked towards Jack, who was watching everything unfolding with his spyglass. Kitty was going below the deck once more. It was clear she didn't want to wait around in the rain nor did she wish to be in Alice's company right now.

"Jones's crew is on the shipwreck," Jack said. "Will's attempting to fight them."

"Will's bravado is going to get him killed one of these days," Alice commented.

"Wow... he just set his sword on fire," Jack said. "That's actually somewhat impressive." Alice let out snort and rolled her eyes. Of course Will would do something that stupid. He just wasted a perfectly good sword. The metal was definitely going to get distorted in the mix of fire and rain. "He got knocked out."

"Of course he did," Alice muttered. "Jones show up yet?" Jack shook his head as he kept watching the scene unfold.

"Wait... there he is," Jack said. He shuddered as he looked at the scene. "He's talking to the survivors. Recruiting if I'm right." Alice stood by Jack, resting her head against his shoulder in an attempt to calm him. It may not have been obvious to the others, but Alice knew that Jack was scared out of his mind right now. He didn't like the prospect of possibly encountering Davy Jones. He probably liked the idea of Davy Jones finding Alice even less. If Jack's explanation was correct, then Jones definitely knew of Alice and how Jack felt for her. There's no way that messenger wouldn't have reported that to Jones. Jack began to lower the spyglass, though when he did, Alice let out a loud gasp and jumped back. The rest of the crew had a very, very similar reaction.

Davy Jones was on the _Black Pearl._

The warped sea creature pirates seemed to appear from nowhere, seizing each member of the crew. A man with the head of a hammerhead shark grabbed Alice from behind. "Let go of me," she hissed at the pirate.

"You have a debt to pay," Jones said, stepping towards Jack. "You've been captain of the _Black Pearl_ for thirteen years. That was our agreement."

"Technically, he was only captain for two years," Alice chimed in.

"Alice, don't," Jack whispered to her. Jones's gaze moved to Alice, his eyes observing the young blonde.

"Then he was a poor captain, but a captain nonetheless," Jones snarled. He turned to Jack and narrowed his eyes. "Have you not introduced yourself as Captain Jack Sparrow all these years?" The crew of the _Flying Dutchman_ all laughed. Alice looked down and shook her head. It wasn't as if Jones was wrong about that bit...

"You have my payment," Jack said. "One soul to serve aboard your ship. He's already over there."

"One soul is not equal to another!" Jones snapped.

"So we've established my proposal is sound in principle, now we're just haggling over price," Jack said. Alice narrowed her eyes at Jack. Was he really going to make yet another bargain? It didn't go well the first time, after all.

"Price?" Jones asked. He was looking intrigued by the offer now.

"How many souls would you say my soul is worth?" Jack asked.

"Jack, no," Alice started to say. The hammer-headed man pulled her back, immediately silencing her. Jones turned to look at her with an obvious smirk.

"This must be the lass I was told about," he said, stepping towards Alice. "I'm not surprised you chose such a spirited young thing." Jones raised his clawed arm and ran it down her jaw. The mixture of slime and the hard shell made Alice want to vomit. "To be so young and to have your lover ripped away from you... a pity, isn't it?" Alice made no sound as she glared at the cuttlefish-like man. Jones suddenly turned around and limped back towards Jack. "One hundred souls. Three weeks."

"You're a darling, mate. Send me back the boy, I'll get started right off," Jack said with his signature smile.

"I keep the boy. A good faith payment. That leaves you only ninety-nine to go," Jones said with a loud snicker.

"Have you not met Will Turner?" Jack asked. "He's noble, heroic, a terrific soprano. Worth at least four, maybe three and a half. And did I happen to mention… he's in love. With a girl. Due to be married. Betrothed. Dividing him from her and her from him would only be half as cruel as actually allowing them to be joined in holy matrimony. Aye?"

"You forget that you are a man in love as well," Jones snarled. "I keep the boy. Ninety-nine souls. But I wonder, Sparrow..." Jones turned around and walked closer to Jack. "Can you live with this? Can you condemn an innocent man- a friend- to a lifetime of servitude in your name while you roam free?"

"Yep. I'm good with it," Jack said after barely a moment of thinking. "Shall we seal it in blood, I mean, uh, ink?" Jones looked over at Alice and began limp towards her.

"I could make the deal easier on you, Jack," Jones said. "The girl is easily worth thirty-three souls." Alice widened her eyes and looked over at Jack. He wasn't actually going to consider trading her to settle his debt, would he? Jack tensed his jaw and shook his head. Alice held her breath, waiting to hear what exactly Jack would say.

"Not happening," Jack said. Jones smirked and turned back around to Jack. He grabbed Jack's marked hand with his own tentacled one. Jack let out a gasp and a shudder as the tentacles wrapped themselves around his own hand.

"A sentimental choice. Three weeks," Jones said as he let go of Jack's arm. Alice watched as the Black Spot on Jack's very slimy hand slowly disappeared. The crew all began to walk away, laughing at Jack's plight.

"Mr. Gibbs?" Jack finally said once the crew of the _Flying Dutchman_ left.

"Aye?" Gibbs responded as he approached Jack.

"I feel sullied and unusual," Jack said. Alice stepped up to Jack and slapped him across the face.

"So how exactly do you plan on getting ninety-nine souls in three weeks?" Alice demanded. "I mean, I'm glad you decided not to use me to settle a third of that debt, but how do you plan on doing this? You wouldn't have made the deal if you didn't have a plan."

"Fortunately, he was mum as the condition in which these souls need be," Jack said. Alice and Gibbs looked at each other with knowing smiles.

"Ah," Gibbs said. "Tortuga?"

"Aye," Jack said, wiping his slimy hand off on Gibb's shirt. "Tortuga. Set sail immediately."

"Aye, cap'n," Gibbs said as he ran to the helm.

"How are we going to explain Will's disappearance to Kitty?" Alice asked Jack.

"As far as she'll know, Jones took him, regardless of the deal," Jack said. Alice shook her head and sighed. "Talk to me, Alice."

"You've just gotten us into an even deeper mess than before, Jack," Alice said. "It's not going to get better. It'll only get worse. Even if we go to Tortuga, there's no guarantee that you'll even find ninety-nine people willing to go to sea!"

"I'll get through it, Al," he said. "I always do."

"Jack, your plans never work," Alice snapped. "You always get by on sheer dumb luck! What makes you think that this plan will be any different! You're going to get yourself killed or worse!"

"You're worrying too much," Jack said, placing his clean hand on Alice's shoulder. "Everything will work out fine."

"It never works out completely fine!" Alice yelled. Now the crew was looking over at the two lovers. Kitty was beginning to appear on deck, watching the scene with critical eyes. "How many times have you been late? How many times have you nearly been caught or killed or trapped? How many life or death situations have we been in over the last two years? How many fucking times do I have to sit on this ship, wondering whether or not you're alright and praying that you're at least alive?" Jack was silent and his smile fell. Alice supposed that he was finally figuring out that she was being serious for once in her life.

"Alice-" he started. She shook her head and held up a hand to silence him.

"Get out of this situation one way or another, I don't care. Just don't lose yourself in the process and don't fucking die! I've given up a hell of a lot for you, Jack. I don't want it to be for naught," she snapped. She stormed away from Jack and descended below the deck. She had no intention of sleeping in the Captain's cabin tonight.

* * *

Lydia sat up on the mast next to Elizabeth, who managed to find a way to rig the dress in a way that was basically puppetry. She made the dress float through the air, in front of the window of the Captain's cabin. Lydia was focusing all her energy into making waves crash against the ship for dramatic effect. Elizabeth moved one of the sleeves so that it was pointing roughly in the direction of Tortuga.

"She wants you to do something," one of the sailors said.

"She's trying to give a sign," the captain said. Elizabeth made the dress swooped out over the ocean and over the heads of the sailors. She managed to knock over the lantern Lydia had set up earlier. Lydia flicked her wrist, sending a spray of water behind where the dress was. She was careful to keep the water away from the burning message. "Over there! Look for a sign!" Lydia and Elizabeth rolled their eyes. How was it that any of these men managed to get anything done? Elizabeth dropped the dress and they hopped down from the mast.

"Look! There it is! There's the sign!" one sailor shouted.

"That's seaweed," another pointed out.

"Seaweed could be a sign. It looks like entrails," the sailor countered. Elizabeth plopped down onto an upright barrel. Lydia leaned against the rail, shaking her head in frustration.

"What's that over there?" Elizabeth called out, lowering her voice and pointing to the fiery message. The crew all rushed to the fire and gaped at the obvious message in front of them.

"Tortuga it is," the captain breathed out. "Set a heading." Lydia and Elizabeth exchanged smirks, knowing that their plan succeeded. Within the week, they'd be in Tortuga.


	41. Dead Man's Chest: Chapter 13

A week later, the _Black Pearl_ had docked in the ever popular pirate port of Tortuga. While Alice greatly enjoyed being able to be in her favored port once more, Kitty seemed to resent it. She opted to stay on the ship and do some mending on the sails and various articles of clothing rather than set foot in the "literal cesspool of drunken immorality" as she put it. Alice wasn't going to argue with Kitty on the matter. After all, Tortuga could be a dangerous place for an unarmed and untrained woman. Kitty was safer on the ship in the long run.

Alice sat in the corner of _The Faithful Bride_ , her feet propped up on a table and wrapped up in the arms of Jack as he repeatedly stared into his compass, muttering, "I know what I want, I know what I want, I know what I want," under his breath over and over. She listened as people were "interviewed" by Gibbs to become members of the Black Pearl's crew. She could barely hear the words of the First Mate over the upbeat melodies of the hornpipes and the drunken ravings of various pirates from everywhere.

"And what makes you think you're worthy to crew the _Black Pearl_?" Gibbs asked the first man. He was old, with grey hair and a walking stick. Alice doubted he was even worth half a soul in the eyes of Davy Jones...

"Truth be told, I never sailed a day in me life. I figure I should get out and see the world while I'm still young," the old man said. Alice arched an eyebrow at the man. His definition of young was definitely far different than hers.

"You'll do. Make your mark," Gibbs said, pointing at the roster in front of him. "Next!"

"My wife run off with my dog, and I'm drunk for a month, and I don't give an ass rat's if I live or die," the next man said.

"That's rough," Alice commented, crossing her arms. She nodded towards the roster. She actually didn't have any moral qualms with giving up this man to Davy Jones.

"Next!" Gibbs called out. The next hopeful limped up to the table, merely commenting on having one arm and a bum leg. "It's the crow's nest for you."

"Wait, I'm in the crow's nest," Alice said.

"Not anymore," Gibbs said. "Next!" Jack opened up his compass again and let out a groan when he saw the needle spinning around wildly. Alice sighed and looked up at Jack, holding out her hand. Perhaps if she tried, they'd get a heading. Jack shook his head and closed the compass, muttering to himself once more. One of these days, he would let her use the compass to find what he wanted.

"Ever since I was little, I've always wanted to sail the seas. Forever," the fourth potential sailor told Gibbs.

"Sooner than you think. Sign the roster," Gibbs said. Alice let out a faint chuckle as the middle-aged sailor signed the roster. Four down, ninety-five to go. She wondered if they'd get even half of what they needed in Tortuga.

"How are we going?" Jack asked as he opened the compass once more. He grimaced as the needle swung around once more and closed the compass. If he's just let her try once...

"Including those four? That gives us… four," Gibbs said.

"Ninety-five more. Shouldn't be hard," Alice said as she leaned into Jack, resting her head on his shoulder. Jack sighed and started shaking the compass vigorously. Another man strode up to the table, drunkenness evident in his movements.

"And what's your story?" Gibbs asked the man.

"My story?" the man asked. "It's exactly the same as your story, just one chapter behind." Alice narrowed her eyes at the sound of this man's voice. She knew this voice. She absolutely knew this voice... She only wished now that Kitty had chosen to come ashore. Alice stood up and walked towards the table, her eyes widening as she began to recognize the face in front of her. "I chased a man across the seven seas. The pursuit cost me my Crew, my commission, and my life." The man grabbed the bottle of rum off the table and took a long swig of it.

"Son of a bitch," Alice breathed out. "Commodore? Commodore Norrington?"

"No, not anymore, weren't you listening?" Norrington spat. He looked disheveled and drunk, his hair covered in mud and his wig flying out in every which direction. His normally clean-shaven face was covered in stubble and the remnants of the rum he just downed. His clothes were in tatters and his hat was nearly destroyed. "I nearly had you all off Tripoli. I would've, if not for the hurricane."

"Lord. You didn't try to sail through it?" Gibbs asked. Alice's hand moved to cover her mouth. She shook her head and looked at this broken man in pity. She felt sorry for him and sorry that Kitty would have to see this absolute wreck that her husband had become.

"So do I make your Crew or not? You haven't said where you're going. Somewhere nice!" Norrington shouted. He grabbed the ends of the table and turned it over, knocking Gibbs from his stool. Alice turned her head and noticed that Jack was not-so-subtly trying to escape unnoticed behind a plant. As if that tactic would work. "So am I worthy to serve under Captain Jack Sparrow?" Norrington sneered as he started to strut about the tavern. The hornpipes had stopped playing by now and the patrons had grown quiet as they watched the spectacle. Norrington suddenly pulled out his gun and aimed at Jack. "Or should I just kill you now?" Alice went to grab her own gun, ready to aim it at Norrington should he fire at Jack.

"You'd better not," Alice growled, cocking her gun.

"You're hired," Jack said as he peeked out from behind the plant.

"Sorry. Old habits and all that," Norrington said with a smirk. Alice immediately drew her pistol and aimed it right at Norrington's arm. She wanted him alive for Kitty's sake... but that didn't mean she wasn't willing to hurt him to save her lover's life, even if he was an idiot half the time.

"Easy sailor!" A patron called out. He grabbed Norrington's arm and raised it to the ceiling just before Norrington fired. The bullet hit the chandelier and ricocheted towards someone's drink. Alice put away her gun, immediately knowing what was going to happen. After all, nothing started bar fights quite like ricocheted bullets smashing someone's rum. Alice moved to the furthest corner she could find. She really didn't feel like getting into a brawl right now, but she certainly wanted to watch as the events before her unfolded.

Suddenly, she felt a hand grab her arm. She turned around, fully intending on punching the bastard her grabbed her in the face, only to find that it was Jack. "Time to go, love," Jack said. Alice sighed and shook her head.

"Just once I'd actually like to see the end of a bar fight," she said as she began to follow Jack.

"Unfortunately, my desire to live outweighs your desire to see what happens," he said as he maneuvered slowly through the horde of brawling pirates. She heard clangs of steel as Norrington fought. In one hand, the former commodore had a sword; in the other, a bottle of rum. She shook her head as she watched the sorry excuse for a man brawl. Oh yes... Kitty would not be happy with this.

* * *

Lydia wrinkled her nose in disgust as she stepped into Tortuga. It smelled worse than Will had described. She watched as an incredibly red-faced and staggering man was practically dragged towards the back of the docks by a red-haired woman wearing a low cut dress. "This does seem like a place pirates would frequent," Lydia said, wrinkling her nose in disgust. Part of her was imagining what it was like for Barbossa and his crew whenever they docked in Tortuga. Did any of them try to indulge in drinking and with the curse? To try and feel when they knew they couldn't? And what of Alice? What did she indulge in when she was in Tortuga? Drinking, definitely; Lydia knew her youngest sister well enough. But what else? Jack had surely dragged her into less-than-normal situations with his licentious nature.

"Certainly worse than Will described," Elizabeth agreed as they started to make their way through the port. "Where do you think we'll find them?" Lydia bit her lower lip and looked around the noisy streets. They knew that Jack and his crew were definitely in Tortuga. They saw the _Black Pearl_ as the _Edinburgh_ was docking. All they had to do now was actually find the wretched pirate.

"Let's start at the rowdiest tavern we can find," Lydia said. "Someone will know where Jack is if he's not there." Elizabeth nodded and the two sisters began to slip through the muddy streets, avoiding looking at the eyes of any of the drunken men staggering around them. Being around so many men who clear didn't acknowledge boundaries right now made Lydia extremely uneasy. She wanted to find Jack and Alice and get out of there as soon as she possibly could. It was easy to find a rowdy pirate tavern. The sound of breaking glass and screaming led Lydia and Elizabeth to a run down tavern called _The Faithful Bride_. Elizabeth and Lydia forced their way through a group of brawling men into the tavern to try and see if Jack was there at all.

To Lydia's complete and utter surprise, she found Commodore James Norrington of all people in the center of the brawl.

Norrington's wig was askew and covered in dirt and grime. His uniform was in tatters and his face was ruddy and covered in stubble. In one hand was a sword and in the other a bottle of rum. She shook her head. Kitty hadn't found him yet, and as of right now, Lydia was sure it was a good thing she hadn't seen him in this sorry state. "Look for Jack," Elizabeth said. She drew a sword she'd nicked off a sailor before they left the _Edinburgh_. "I'll help James." Lydia nodded and weaved her way through the crowds. She looked upstairs and saw Jack place a hat on a man that was about to get heaved over the side.

"Sparrow!" Lydia called out. Jack seemed to not hear her and motioned for the men to throw their unfortunate victim down. She watched as he crashed into a table, snapping it in half with a loud crack. "Damn it," Lydia muttered to herself. The room suddenly went quiet as Norrington sloppily waved his sword at the pirates.

"Come on, then! Who wants some? For my lordly line, I'll have you one by one. Come on, who's first?" Norrington challenged. Lydia watched as Elizabeth rolled her eyes, grabbed the bottle in Norrington's hand, and smashed it over his head. The pirates all went silent, looking up at Elizabeth in confusion and disappointment.

"I just wanted the pleasure of doing that myself," Elizabeth shouted. The pirates then cheered and raised their glasses. Lydia rolled her eyes and strolled up the scene, watching the unconscious James Norrington lie there on the ground. What a broken man he'd become in the last six months... had he not cause her sister such pain, Lydia would have pitied the man. Not to mention that Lydia herself had endured hardship and darkness and managed not to turn into an alcoholic who hid from her problems. The pirates all gathered around Norrington and picked him up. It made sense that he'd get kicked out for whatever ruckus he'd caused. Lydia followed the pirates as they went towards the back of the tavern. She started to smell the scent of pigs as they neared the rear entrance.

The exited the tavern and went over to the pigpen that was just across the street. The hogs sat happily in their mud and filth, eating the remains of whatever discarded food they'd been fed that day. The pirates heaved Norrington and tossed him straight into the mud just as he started to regain consciousness. The pirates all turned around to return to their rum and merriment, but Elizabeth and Lydia stayed behind, watching as Norrington tried to sit himself up. He spat mud and filth from his mouth as the two women approached. "James Norrington," Elizabeth said as she bent down next to him. He narrowed his eyes for a moment and then suddenly widened them when he realized who was speaking with him. Lydia stayed standing, looking down at him. "What has the world done to you?"

"Elizabeth?" James asked, his words slurred. "Lydia?"

"Yes," Lydia said nodding her head.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. "Katherine, is she-"

"She's been traveling with Will Turner for the last months trying to find you," Lydia said. "I'm actually glad we found you first."

"Will set out to look for Jack Sparrow," Elizabeth said. Lydia suddenly stiffened as a strange feeling washed over her. It almost felt as if she were being watched. Everyone in the Swann family noticed that she'd become more perceptive since her escapade with Barbossa and his cursed crew. She tensed her jaw and turned around. Her heart stopped as she saw who was watching them. Ian Mercer was standing at the doorway, his face lined in a deeply-rooted scowl. He disappeared into the tavern as soon as he met Lydia's eyes. "Lyddie? What is it?"

"Mercer," Lydia said. "He must have followed us. I'm not surprised but I'm not happy with this either. My husband will know exactly where we are and where we're going."

"Husband?" James asked as Elizabeth helped him to his feet. "You got married? To whom?"

"Lord Cutler Beckett," Lydia replied with a snort. "In fact, I married him to save your sorry ass. And Jack's, and Alice's, and Will's..." She turned around and watched Norrington look down, as if he were ashamed. He should have been ashamed, in Lydia's opinion. She sighed and stepped out of the pigpen. "I saw Jack leaving the tavern. If we hurry, we should be able to catch the _Black Pearl_ before it leaves."

"Right," Elizabeth said. The three walked through the darkened streets of Tortuga, moving as fast as they could with the drunk, staggering James Norrington. Lydia wanted to get out of Tortuga as fast as possible. She didn't want to think of what could happen if Mercer managed to successfully tail them a second time.


	42. Dead Man's Chest: Chapter 14

Lydia walked with her sister and Norrington down the dock just as Jack and his crew were boarding the _Black Pearl._ It seemed that they had perfect timing. In front of them was Jack, Alice, and Gibbs all preparing to board the ship. Jack had one arm clearly wrapped around Alice, who was leaning into her lover. Lydia let out a soft smile as she watched them. It seemed her love for Jack remained strong and vice versa. "Captain Sparrow?" Elizabeth called out.

"Come to join me crew, lad?" Jack asked almost dismissively. "Welcome aboard." Alice, however, stopped for a moment as if she recognized the voice she heard.

"I'm here to find the man I love," Elizabeth said. Jack paused at this. At this point he either recognized Elizabeth's voice or he thought another man was about to confess his love for him. At his point Alice was frozen. Lydia could practically see the gears turning in her head as she tried to place Elizabeth's voice.

"I'm deeply flattered, son, but my primary loves are for the sea and my dearest second mate here," Jack said. Lydia snorted and rolled her eyes. Was Jack really that dense? Elizabeth also sighed and shook her head. Norrington, on the other hand, quickly ran to the edge of the dock and threw up into the bay.

"Meaning William Turner, Captain Sparrow," Elizabeth said.

"Perhaps this will jog your memory a bit," Lydia said. With one flick of the wrist, she lifted a large column of water from the bay on Jack's right. Alice saw the water, gasped and turned around. She immediately ran towards her sister's and enveloped both of them in a tight hug.

"Oh my god!" Alice squealed as she hugged her sisters tightly. "Lyddie! Lizzie!"

"Elizabeth? Lydia?" Jack asked. He turned around to Gibbs and said, "Hide the rum." Gibbs nodded and scurried back to the ship. Lydia let out a light chuckle and rolled her eyes. She flicked her wrist downwards and the column of water fell. "You know these clothes do not flatter you at all. It should be a dress or nothing. I happen to have no dress in my cabin."

"Oh, come on, Jack!" Alice snapped. She let go of her sisters and turned around, staring down Jack with one hand on her hip. Lydia was surprised to see Jack looking a little afraid of her. After all, it was quite comical to see a young, five foot tall girl staring down one of the most notorious pirates in the entirety of the Caribbean.

"Jack, I know Will came to find you," Elizabeth said. "Where is he?" Jack sighed and took a step towards Elizabeth.

"Darling, I am truly unhappy to have to tell you this, but through an unfortunate and entirely unforeseeable series of circumstances that had nothing whatsoever to do with me, poor Will has been press-ganged into Davy Jones's crew," Jack explained. Lydia arched an eyebrow.

"So in other words, it was your fault entirely?" Lydia inquired.

"No," Jack quickly said, holding up one finger. "It wasn't my fault in the slightest."

"Who's Davy Jones?" Elizabeth asked.

"Oh please," Norrington snorted. He threw up over the edge of the dock once more and then turned back to the four of them. "The Captain of the _Flying Dutchman._ "

"You look bloody awful. What are you doing here?" Jack asked.

"You hired me," Norrington said. "I can't help it if your standards are lax."

"So your wife possibly being on board has absolutely nothing to do with it then?" Lydia snapped, shooting a sharp glare at Norrington. Lydia wasn't going to be so quick to forgive this man for breaking her sister's heart and abandoning her and their child. She wasn't going to forgive this man yet for choosing to be a drunken lout on Tortuga when he could have returned to Port Royal at any time. Norrington tensed his jaw and looked away from Lydia. Good… let him be ashamed of himself and what he'd become.

"I don't want her seeing me like this," he growled.

"Too late."

All heads turned as Kitty Swann appeared at the top of the gangplank. She was dressed in the same clothing that Lydia watched her leave in, though her hair was a fair bit dirtier now than it was then. Her brown eyes were darkened and her face was lined with a mix of pity, disappointment, and fury. Lydia felt sorry for her sister right now, but she couldn't help but feel relieved that she was safe and healthy. "So this is what happened to you?" Kitty asked as she walked down the gangplank. "I've worried for you for months. I took care of our child _alone_ and wondered whether or not you were even alive for _months_ and all this time you've been here drinking yourself into a stupor every day?" Her words were slow and Lydia could hear the break in her voice as she fought back her tears and her fury.

"Katherine, I-" Norrington didn't get the words out. By now, Kitty had made her way up to him and slapped him across the face. She shook her head and let out a scoff.

"Don't," she snapped. She turned around and ran back onto the ship, disappearing almost instantaneously below deck. Alice sighed, looked at her sisters, and ran towards the ship. She most likely wanted to comfort her sister. Norrington shook his head and staggered up the gangplank. Perhaps he was going to try and explain himself to Kitty… not that it would do much good at the moment. Lydia wasn't surprised that Kitty hadn't acknowledged her or Elizabeth. After all, the shock of seeing her husband alive but in that state must have overwhelmed her.

"Jack," Elizabeth suddenly said. "All I want is to find Will." Jack rolled his eyes, but then seemed to straighten. Some idea had definitely popped into the pirate Captain's mind and Lydia wasn't sure she would like it at all.

"Are you certain?" he asked. "Is that what you really want most?"

"Of course," Elizabeth replied. Jack placed a hand on Elizabeth's back and led her to the side. Lydia followed the two as they spoke. She wanted to know exactly what Jack was leading up to.

"Because I would think, you'd want to find a way to save Will most," Jack said.

"And you'd have a way of doing that?" Elizabeth asked.

"Well, there is a chest," Jack said. Lydia rolled her eyes and snorted. How would treasure possibly save Will from Davy Jones? "A chest of unknown size and origin."

"What contains the still beating heart of Davy Jones." Lydia looked to her left and felt herself smile when she saw Pintel and Ragetti carrying a large crate of what appeared to be rum. She can't believe she actually missed those two. Ragetti gave Lydia a brief nod in greeting as he imitated a still-beating heart after it had been torn out. Jack rolled his eyes and continued with his story.

"And whoever possesses that chest possesses the leverage to command Jones to do whatever it is he or she wants… including saving brave William from his grim fate," Jack said. Part of Lydia didn't want to believe Jack. However, based on everything Lydia had experienced in the past two years, it was entirely possible to her.

"How do we find it?" Elizabeth asked.

"With this," Jack said as he pulled out his compass. He opened and closed it almost dramatically. "My compass is unique."

"You mean broken," Lydia said with a snort.

"Aye, it doesn't point north." Alice was making her way towards the small group with her hands on her hips. "But sometimes you're not trying to find north."

"Where's Kitty and James?" Lydia asked, furrowing her brow.

"Talking," Alice said. "Don't worry; I made it absolutely clear to Norrington that I'm technically his superior now. Not to mention I threatened to flog him if he hurts Kitty again, intentionally or not." Lydia smiled at this. Her sister had grown so much over the last two years.

"So where does it point?" Elizabeth asked.

"It points to the thing you want most in this world," Jack explained. Elizabeth let out a ghost of a laugh and shook her head.

"Are you telling the truth?" she asked.

"Every word, love," Jack said.

"I can vouch for him," Alice said. "He's telling the truth." Lydia looked closer that this compass and narrowed her eyes. So long as Alice was sure that this compass could do what Jack said it could, then Lydia felt no reason to doubt him on this.

"And what you want most in this world is to find the chest of Davy Jones, is it not?" Jack asked as he placed the compass into Elizabeth's hands.

"To save Will," Elizabeth corrected sharply.

"By finding the chest of Davy Jones," Jack added. He opened the compass and stepped away. Lydia watched in fascination as the needle swung around by itself before stopping resolutely in the northeast. She let out a faint laugh and shook her head. It seemed that Jack Sparrow was telling the truth for once in his life. Jack peered at the compass and smiled. "Mr. Gibbs! We have out heading."

"Finally," Gibbs shouted back from the ship. "Cast off those lines, weigh anchor, and trough that canvas!" Jack stepped away and motioned towards the gangplank in a comically grand gesture.

"Miss Swann," he said. Elizabeth nodded and walked up the gangplank. Jack looked up at Lydia and smirked. "And Miss Swann." Lydia let out a loud laugh and shook her head. So they clearly hadn't heard the oh-so joyous news.

"You don't know then?" she asked bitterly. "It's Lady Beckett now." Alice gasped and clasped her hands over her mouth, her eyes growing wide. She shook her head, as if she were refusing to believe the news. Jack widened his eyes as well and gulped.

"No… Lyddie, please no. Please tell me you didn't," Alice whispered. Lydia let out a bitter smile and nodded.

"I did what I had to in order to protect my loved ones," she said.

"Did he hurt you?" Alice asked. "If he did, I swear to God I will kill him." Her voice was low and grim. In that moment, Lydia could very well believe that her youngest sister was capable of murdering Beckett with her bare hands without a single flinch.

"Yes," Lydia said very plainly. "I managed to anger him enough to strike me twice." Alice tensed her jaw and shook her head. She could see the fury rising in Alice's brown eyes.

"Lydia…" Jack said, pointing towards something behind her. She turned around and saw that a large, swirling column of water had rising from the bay behind her. Lydia shook her head and motioned with her hand for the water to return to its natural state.

"Forgive me," Lydia said. "I've been holding in a lot of anger for a great many weeks. But I do have to warn you, Jack, that I saw Beckett's right hand man inside the _Faithful Bride._ He knows we're all here and he'll definitely report back to my husband. We'll have to move fast. I was also going to warn you about a giant octopus monster hunting someone with a black spot, but based on what I've been hearing from the local sea life it's been called off for nearly a week." She arched an eyebrow and stepped closer to Jack. "Tell me, Captain Sparrow, would that be roughly the same time Will was 'press-ganged into Davy Jones's crew' as you put it?" Jack seemed to freeze as he thought of some excuse he could use to get out of answering that question. Alice placed a gentle hand on Jack's shoulder and nodded, as if she were silently communicating something to him. Jack sighed and gave Alice a 'seriously?' kind of look… a look that Alice responded to with a harsh glare.

"Come with me, Lydia," Jack said. "I'll explain everything. You might be able to help."

"Jack, she's a Nereid," Alice said. "She _can_ help. Jones could very well listen to her." Lydia arched an eyebrow at these words. Alice took Lydia by the arm and led her up the gangplank. It felt so strange for Lydia to see this ship that held so many memories of Barbossa… so strange to be boarding once more after two long years; Stranger still to be going inside the cabin that she once viewed as a cell… the cabin where Barbossa first taught her to control water… he cabin where he kissed her for the first time. She took in a breath as she entered the room with Jack and Alice, curious as to exactly what they'd be telling her.

* * *

Kitty was furious to say the least.

This was what her husband had reduced himself too? No wonder she didn't find him the last time she was in Tortuga; she definitely wouldn't have recognized the drunken man covered in mud and shit as the once-dashing James Norrington. She felt hot tears begin to pool in the corners of her eyes as she rushed down to her room. She heard at least two sets of footsteps behind her; one set sounded quicker and lighter while the other was heavier and slower. It was easy to guess that they belonged to Alice and Norrington, to say the least. She entered the room and the door was immediately stopped by Alice's foot.

"Kitty, I'm so sorry," Alice said as she entered the room, shutting the door behind her. "I wish you didn't have to see him like that."

"I almost don't want to believe it's him," she said, finally letting her tears fall. "I almost want to believe that James is still out there somewhere."

"I know," Alice said, placing a hand on her sister's shoulder. "You're furious and you're disappointed. You're wondering why he'd choose to live in Tortuga all this time instead of coming home."

"Exactly," Kitty replied with a nod. She brought her hand to her face and tried to wipe away some of the tears. A moment later, the door opened and the ragged looking Norrington entered the room. His face was covered in dirt and his eyes had a bloodshot, glossy appearance to them. Kitty tensed her jaw and glared at the man who claimed to be her husband.

"No, no," Alice said, shaking her head. "You've done enough. Get out."

"I need to talk to her," Norrington said, his words slurred and slow.

"And I'm saying no," Alice snapped, stepping up to him and glaring at him. Norrington glared right back and the two were locked in a glaring match for the next few seconds.

"Please," he finally said softly. "Just give me some time with her."

"Alice…" Kitty said as she placed a hand on her sister's shoulder. "Give us a moment." Alice turned to her sister and sighed.

"Alright," she said. She turned back to Norrington with a stern glare stepped one step closer to him. "But just remember, Norrington. You're not a Commodore anymore. You a member of the crew of the _Black Pearl_ and I am your captain's second mate. I rank above you now. You follow my orders, you follow Gibbs's orders, and most importantly you follow Jack's orders. If you hurt my sister, intentionally or not, I will ensure that you are flogged and tied to the main mast for the crew to do to you what they please. Do I make myself clear, swab?" Norrington was silent for a moment and his jaw was tensed.

"Yes," he finally said.

"You're a pirate now, swab," Alice snapped. "You say 'aye,' not 'yes' like some pretentious Englishman."

"Aye," he said. Alice looked between Kitty and Norrington for a moment before leaving the room. Kitty let out a faint smile. Alice was probably enjoying the fact that she could boss around Norrington right now; after all, he'd done the same to her for many years. The door shut behind Alice and now Kitty was alone with her husband for the first time in over seven months. "Katherine, I-"

"If you're going to tell me you're sorry, don't bother," Kitty snapped. "You could have come home at any time after you resigned your commission. You could have come home to me and Little James and you didn't. Instead, you chose to come to the raunchiest port in the entire Caribbean to settle down in and drink yourself into a stupor daily." She turned around and shook her head. "Tell me, James, how many whores have you fucked in a drunken haze while trying to forget your life?"

"Katherine, I have never been with another woman," he told her. She heard him step closer to her and place a hand on her shoulder. "I wanted to come home to you and our son, believe me."

"Then why didn't you?" Kitty demanded through gritted teeth.

"I let over a third of my men die," he said. She heard a loud thump and knew he'd collapsed against one of the walls. "Over thirty men were killed on my watch; over a thirty families now without a father or a brother or a son. How could I face my own family knowing I'd ruined the lives of so many other families? I could I face the looks of disappoint from people who once respected me? People who entrusted me to keep their loved ones alive? I'd failed so many people… you couldn't understand."

"I understand that you chose to be a coward rather than face your mistakes," Kitty said. "I know you feel responsible for their deaths, James, but you should have come home and faced the fact that you lost those men instead of hiding away in a tavern for half a year." She sighed and shook her head. "I can't deal with you like this right now. I just can't." She walked towards the door, but was stopped by James's hand.

"Katherine, what is this going to mean for us?" he asked. Kitty looked down and shook her head.

"I don't know," she said. "Ask me that question again when you're sober."

"For what it's worth… I'm truly glad to see you again," Norrington said.

"I would say the same, but my husband hasn't quite returned to me yet," Kitty replied with a sad smile. She opened the door and left Norrington inside. She needed to calm down and wrap her mind around everything that was happening. She couldn't deal with her sorry excuse for a husband right now. She walked up the stairs towards the top deck. When she appeared above deck, she saw Elizabeth standing with Gibbs while holding a compass.

Kitty had to squint her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing things. Elizabeth was here? Since when had Elizabeth been here? A moment later, Lydia appeared from the captain's cabin with Alice and Jack. Kitty held a hand to her mouth and shook her head. How could she have completely ignored her sisters? She must have seemed so selfish… Lydia turned around and let out a small smile as she saw Kitty. She walked up to her sister and enveloped her in a tight hug.

"Lydia," Kitty said. "I'm so sorry. I completely disregarded you and Elizabeth-"

"I understand," Lydia said. Elizabeth ran up to the two of them and joined in the hug.

"Kitty, I've missed you," she said. "There's so much that's happened in Port Royal since you left."

"Wait…" Kitty said. "If you two are here, then where's Little James? Is he safe?"

"He's in hiding with his wet nurse," Lydia explained. "I ensured that before Elizabeth and I fled. I'm not so careless to leave my nephew in the hands of Beckett."

"Why would Beckett have any claim to my son?" Kitty asked. Lydia looked down and sighed deeply before raising her left hand. There on her ring finger sat a very gold ring… Kitty wished it wasn't a wedding band, but knew all hopes to the contrary were in vain. Her heart stopped when she realized that her sister had married Lord Cutler Beckett. "Why?"

"She didn't have much of a choice," Elizabeth said. "But that's in the past. We've gotten away. Now we need to save Will." Kitty nodded and watched as Alice ran up to her sister, wrapping her arms around all three of them.

"I can't believe it," Alice said with a smile. "The Swann sisters are together once more." Kitty let a smile and a laugh escape her lips. Lydia even let out a faint smile at the sentiment. "I'd show you two where you'll be sleeping, but I'm pretty sure our newest drunken swab is still brooding about in there." Kitty let out a snort and nodded. For once, she couldn't find the heart to berate her sister for her cruel words to Norrington. "Besides, it looks like a certain two idiots want to talk to you Lydia." Kitty turned around and saw Pintel and Ragetti waving at Lydia. It made sense. After all, Lydia had spent more time with them two years ago than the other three sisters combined. Lydia let out a faint chuckle and walked over to the two men.

"Is there anything I can do?" Kitty asked.

"You could go below deck and help me ration out supplies," Alice said. "You've always been better at mathematics than me." Kitty smiled and walked with Alice below deck to where the supplies sat. At least counting rations could help get her mind off of what James had become.


	43. Dead Man's Chest: Chapter 15

"So you're telling me that Jack needs to collect a hundred souls for Davy Jones in order to not get eaten by the Kraken and sent to Davy Jones' locker?" Lydia asked. "And you gave him Will as one of them?"

"Technically, Jones took him," Jack said. "I tried to get the lad back."

"Not hard enough, clearly," Lydia replied. She leaned back in the chair she was sitting in and shook her head. "So that's what I was seeing in my dreams: the Kraken. And you were the man with the Black Spot." She let out a snort. "I should have known it was you. I even told Will and Kitty to warn you about it. I'm such a fool…" She stood up and swiftly slapped Jack across the face. Alice gasped at the loud crack and covered her mouth with her hands. "How dare you put my sisters in danger!?"

"You can't tell the crew," Jack said. "None of them can know."

"You mean none of the men that you recruited with the sole intention of sacrificing to Jones," Lydia spat. She turned to Alice and shook her head. "And you're just going to let this happen? You're going to let innocent men be claimed by Davy Jones?"

"They won't have to be if we find the chest," Alice said. "If we find Jones' heart, we can kill him before he has the chance to shanghai them." Lydia let out a long sigh and looked down. This was exactly the sort of harebrained scheme that Jack and Alice would come up. It was completely built on chances and what ifs. "But if worst comes to worst… perhaps you could help."

"Because I'm a Nereid," Lydia said. "And the heart controls Jones, who has significant leverage over the sea." She looked up and narrowed her eyes at Jack and Alice. "And you two actually think he'll listen to me? He'll just let me waltz up to him, ask for an extension or cancellation on Jack's debt, and leave without any retribution?"

"Yeah," Jack said.

"Then you're just a plain idiot," Lydia said. "Jones doesn't strike me as forgiving. He'll want your debt, regardless of what influence I may have." She shook her head and walked towards the door. "I'll try to speak with him as a last resort, but _only_ as a last resort. Just know that my loyalty is to my sisters, Jack. Not to you."

"I figured as much," Jack said. "I know you don't like me. I killed the man you loved in front of your very eyes. It's not an easy thing to forgive." Lydia let out a scoff at his words. He hit the nail right on the head. She would tolerate the man for the sake of Alice, but she certainly didn't trust him in the slightest. She trust Alice, though, and her ability to keep Jack reined in. "If it's any consolation, I truly am sorry I had to kill him." Lydia turned her head around slightly and (to her surprise) saw traces of earnest in his eyes.

"I know," Lydia said. "But as you said, it doesn't mean I can forgive you."

"Come on," Alice said. "We have a crew that needs orders and I have sisters to hug profusely." Lydia let out small smile and a laugh at her sister's antics. How could she still be so light hearted when dealing with the fate of her lover? Though Lydia knew perfectly well that Alice's light heartedness _was_ how she dealt with difficult issues.

Lydia left the Captain's cabin and turned around. She saw Kitty standing there, shocked, with her hand over her mouth. She let out a smile at her reaction. It wasn't a surprise that her focus ended up being more on Norrington than her and Elizabeth. Lydia walked up to her sister and enveloped her in a tight hug.

"Lydia," Kitty said. "I'm so sorry. I completely disregarded you and Elizabeth-"

"I understand," Lydia said. Elizabeth ran up to the two of them and joined in the hug.

"Kitty, I've missed you," she said. "There's so much that's happened in Port Royal since you left."

"Wait…" Kitty said. "If you two are here, then where's Little James? Is he safe?"

"He's in hiding with his wet nurse," Lydia explained. "I ensured that before Elizabeth and I fled. I'm not so careless to leave my nephew in the hands of Beckett."

"Why would Beckett have any claim to my son?" Kitty asked. Lydia looked down and sighed deeply before raising her left hand. She was starting to get tired of having to explain that she was married to the sea's most dangerous sociopath. "Why?"

"She didn't have much of a choice," Elizabeth said, walking up to the pair of them. "But that's in the past. We've gotten away. Now we need to save Will." Kitty nodded. A moment later, Alice had bounced up to the three of them with a large smile on her face.

"I can't believe it," Alice said as she hugged her sisters. "The Swann sisters are together once more." Lydia couldn't help but let out a faint smile at that. "I'd show you two where you'll be sleeping, but I'm pretty sure our newest drunken swab is still brooding about in there." Kitty let out a snort and nodded. Lydia could sympathize with her sister. Still, her heart ached for her. "Besides, it looks like a certain two idiots want to talk to you Lydia." Lydia furrowed her brow in confusion until she looked to her right and saw Pintel and Ragetti waving at her. She let out a faint chuckle and shook her head. She really did somewhat miss those two.

She walked away from her sisters and approached the two familiar pirates. "It's been a while," Lydia said.

"Yeah, it has," Ragetti said with a large smile. "We were headed for the gallows the last time we met."

"How did you escape anyway?" Lydia asked. "I remember the guards were livid when you two were discovered missing from your cells."

"Dog," the two pirates said simultaneously.

"The one with the keys?" Lydia asked incredulously. "You actually got it to come to you?" She let out a ghost of a laugh. "That's why we couldn't find him. How'd you end up with Sparrow?"

"Ran into him on Isla de Pelegosto," Pintel said. "We tried to salvage his ship and then he and his crew showed up. Well, them and a couple hundred of hungry cannibals." Lydia arched her brow in confusion. That was certainly a story she needed hear from Alice. "Hold on a minute…" Pintel took her hand and looked at the golden band sitting on her ring finger. "So we didn't mishear you earlier, then. You really are married to Beckett." Lydia sighed and looked down.

"Then I trust you overheard why?" she asked. Ragetti nodded slowly.

"You know, back when we was cursed, the crew had a bet going on over when you and Barbossa would get together," Ragetti said with faint laugh. "We all knew he cared about you." Lydia let out a ghost of a smile at his words.

"I know he did," Lydia said. "Some days I swear I hear him in my head. I know it's impossible. I know it's just my mind wanting him to still be here. Then again, we've encountered more than a few impossible things." She took a breath and cleared her mind of those thoughts. Now wasn't the time to brood over her lost love. They had a job to do right now. She could brood as much as she wished once everyone's freedom was secured. "So who won that bet?"

"We did," the two said at the same time.

"Course, we never did get our winnings seeing how the British captured us and all," Pintel said. Lydia suddenly got an idea and she looked down at her wedding ring. Part of her wanted to give to them as their winnings for that old bet. But the sensible part of her knew that she might need that wedding ring as security should they get caught by the East India Trading Company. After all, Beckett made it clear that he was going to paint her disappearance as a kidnapping.

"Hey, Lydia, we could use you to get us some speed," Jack suddenly called out from the helm. She turned around and watched him nod for her to come up. She sighed and shook her head. It seemed that the Captain had some duties in mind for her after all.

"I suppose that's my cue," Lydia said with a faint smile. The duo of pirates shrugged in agreement.

"We should talk later," Ragetti said. "I know we have loads of stories about Barbossa if you want to hear them." Lydia nodded at the one-eyed pirate.

"I'd like that," she said. She gave the two pirates a curt nod before rushing off to the helm. After all, the sea wasn't going to help Sparrow gain momentum as fast on its own.

* * *

Alice gripped the rail as she bent over the edge of the ship, the contents of her stomach now emptying itself into the sea. Chunks of this morning's breakfast were now floating on top of the dark water. The sight almost made Alice want to hurl again. She felt a gentle hand rub her back almost soothingly. She turned her head and saw Kitty standing next to her, trying to be as much of a comfort to her vomiting sister as she could. "I don't get it," Alice breathed out, trying to push away the sense of nausea in her chest. "I've never gotten sea-sick in my life."

"Maybe it's stress?" Kitty suggested. Alice shrugged, knowing that it could be a possibility. After all, the possibility of losing Jack was definitely nerve-wreaking. She felt another wave of nausea and bent over the rail again, throwing up whatever remained in her stomach at this point. She shuddered at the aftertaste in her mouth and collapsed to the floor. She ran a hand through her dirty blonde hair and shook her head. This nausea better subside soon or Alice was going to go crazy.

A moment later, Lydia ran onto the deck with a large, almost goofy smile on her face. She immediate enveloped Kitty in a tight hug. Kitty looked taken back, clearly caught off guard by the random hug from her eldest sister. "What's got you so happy?" Kitty asked.

"I'm bleeding!" Lydia replied.

"What?" Alice asked, her voice slight hoarse from throwing up. "Where? How?" Lydia looked down at Alice and rolled her slightly teary eyes.

"Alice…" Lydia said with a laugh. Alice sat there and thought about it for a second before the realization dawned on her.

"Oh! On the rag. Right… that bleeding," Alice said. She furrowed her brow and tilted her head to the side. "But why's that making you goofy-happy?"

"Because it means I'm not pregnant!" Lydia said. "I'm not carrying Beckett's child." Kitty gasped and hugged Lydia again. Alice smiled and hoisted herself up using the railing. She joined in the hug between Kitty and Lydia.

"Well congratulations on not being pregnant then." Alice looked up and saw Jack walking towards the three sisters. Gibbs and Elizabeth were close behind. Elizabeth was holding a small leather envelope in her hands. "Mrs. Norrington, why did you not tell me that you and dear William were working for Beckett?" She let go of Lydia and narrowed at the Captain.

"Will is, I'm not," Kitty said. "My goal was to find James… which I unfortunately did. I thought Will told you?"

"He did not," Jack replied, clearly not happy with the situation. His eyes turned to Alice as he looked her up and down. "Love, you alright? You look greener than normal."

"I'm fine, Jack," Alice said. She was lying through her teeth and she knew it, but the last thing Jack should be worrying about was a little vomiting from her. It wasn't as if she was dying, after all. "On Pelegostos, Will asked for your compass. Beckett wants your compass, but why?"

"Only one reason," Gibbs said. He looked over at Lydia and added, "Possibly two." Lydia rolled her eyes and snorted loudly.

"Of course," Jack murmured. "He wants the chest."

"Yes, he did say something about a chest," Elizabeth said.

"If the company controls the chest, they control the sea," Gibbs said. Alice saw Lydia stiffen out of the corner of her eye. There were probably more than enough reasons why Lydia wouldn't want Beckett to gain that sort of power. What would that mean for Nereids?

"A truly discomforting notion," Jack said.

"No. No. That's not happening," Alice said. "That can't be allowed to happen."

"Bad for every mother's son what calls himself pirate," Gibbs agreed. "I think there's a bit more speed to be coaxed from these sails." He rushed off towards the sails, shouting, "Brace the foreyard!"

"Might I enquire as to how you came by these?" Jack asked, taking the leather envelope from Elizabeth.

"Persuasion," Elizabeth said, her face drawn in a deep scowl.

"Friendly?" Jack asked.

"If you consider a gun to the head friendly," Lydia replied with a smirk.

"Decidedly not," Elizabeth snapped.

"Will strikes a deal for these and upholds it with honor, yet you are the one standing here with the prize," Jack said. He opened up the papers and read, "Full pardon, commissioned as a privateer on behalf of England and the East India Trading Company…" He let out a scoff and tucked the papers into his coat. "As if I could be bought for such a low price."

"Jack, give the letters back," Elizabeth said, holding out her hand. Jack simply smirked and let out a low chuckle.

"No," he said. "Persuade me."

"You do know Will taught me how to handle a sword?" she growled. Alice arched an eyebrow at her lover. Was he really flirting with her sister? She loved the man, she truly did. She normally couldn't give a damn about whether or not he flirted with every woman on the planet so long as his heart remained hers, but even Alice had some limits on whom he flirted with and who he bedded. And Elizabeth was one of those limits.

"As I said," Jack said, turning around to face Elizabeth, "Persuade me." Elizabeth rolled her eyes and walked away, descending below the deck. Alice crossed her arms and tapped her foot almost impatiently on the deck. Jack turned back around to face Alice, who was glaring daggers at him with a tensed jaw.

"Lyddie, I believe that's our cue to do something else," Kitty said quietly. Lydia nodded slowly and walked away from the couple. Kitty followed her, clearly not wanting to be in the firing zone.

"Jack," Alice said slowly. "You know I love you, right?" Jack grimaced and looked down. That was usually what Alice said when she wasn't at all happy with Jack's actions. Half the time, a slap would follow. Half the time it wouldn't. Jack knew to be very afraid when a slap never followed. "Do you remember what we agreed upon when we began this relationship? We can flirt with and bed whomever we please so long as we both know about it and approve of it?"

"You don't want me flirting with your sisters," Jack said.

"Or sleeping with them," Alice said stiffly. "Are we clear on that matter?"

"Aye," Jack replied. "You're not sharing my bed tonight, are you?"

"Not a chance," Alice said. She uncrossed her arms and strode past Jack, fully intent on ignoring him for the rest of the afternoon as she ensured the crew did their duties; particularly the newer crew members who hadn't quite accepted that a five foot tall woman was higher in rank than them.

"Trouble in paradise?" Alice turned around to see Norrington standing next to her, leaning almost casually against the rail. His words were no longer slurred and he seemed more composed than he did last night. However, she could tell from his squinted eyes that he was still very much hung-over. Alice rolled her eyes at the former Commodore and let out snort.

"As if that's any of your concern, swab," she snapped. "Besides, it's not my love life you should be worrying about. Your focus should be on making amends with your wife before she up and leaves your sorry ass. I know she has half a mind to." Norrington looked down and nodded slowly.

"I know," he said quietly. "I know. I know it'll take more than a day to convince her I'm even worth her time. I don't deserve her, I know that. I doubt I'm even worthy of seeing my son." Alice rolled her eyes and groaned.

"Part of the problem is that you're wallowing in self pity," Alice said as she leaned her back against the rail and crossed her arms. "You lost good men. I know that. And yes, it was your own damned fault for sailing into a hurricane. It sounds cold, but there's nothing you can do about those lost lives. It happened. Wallowing in self pity won't bring that back. I mean, yes, the fact that you're admitting it's your own fault makes you more honorable than many of the people I've encountered in the navy. But you lost any semblance of that honor when you decided that brooding in Tortuga was a better idea than going home to your worried-sick wife." Norrington closed his eyes as Alice's words sunk in. "I'm not Kitty. You're not Jack. We don't care if the other is drunk off their ass most of the time. We don't care if we sleep with other people as long as we know about it. But you and Kitty have more high society in a single fingernail that Jack and I combined. Just sober up and talk to her. Get over this broody, self-pitying attitude, accept your mistake, and try and save your marriage from crumbling into ruin."

"That was actually far better advice than I expected from you, Alice," Norrington said. Alice shrugged and let out a smirk.

"Pirate's life ain't easy," she said. "You have to grow a thicker skin. I know I'm exactly likeable and I know I'm not the most mature person in the world, but I want to see Kitty happy. It hurts her heart to see you looking and acting like a broody mess." Alice straightened up and walked away from the rail. "Why don't you mull over what you're going to say to her while you do your job, swab?" She nodded over towards the idle bucket of water next to Norrington and said, "Get to work." Norrington let out a faint smile and nodded. He started going immediately to work as he bent down to scrub the deck. Alice smirked for a moment, but then immediately frowned when she felt another wave of nausea coming over her. She bent over the rail once more and vomited into the sea. She let out a groan as she watched the bile float away. What was wrong with her?


	44. Dead Man's Chest: Chapter 16

Kitty sat down in what had become the Swann sisters' room, mending some of the crews' clothing. After all, the sisters had taken to sleeping down in this unused storage room. Even Alice had spent more than a few nights there due to her frustrations with Jack. At the moment, Lydia was taking a much-needed nap. She'd spent half the night using her gifts to scour the seas for some idea as to what Jones and Beckett were up to. Needless to say, her lack of results on that matter frustrated her beyond belief. However, Lydia wasn't the only person on the _Black Pearl_ that was stressed.

None of them were entirely certain of where exactly they were going or how long it would take to get there. All any of them knew was that the three weeks Davy Jones had given them was almost up and Elizabeth was the only one with a way to find the Heart of Davy Jones. Kitty knew she would be useless if a fight were to arise. She knew she'd be powerless to help her sisters and James.

James.

Kitty shook her head and began to sew quicker. She didn't want to think about her husband. For the entirety of the week and a half at sea, she'd successfully avoided him. It helped that James was smart enough to respect Kitty's wishes and stay out of her way. Perhaps that said _something_ about his remaining integrity. Lydia shifted in her hammock, letting out low, unintelligible murmurs. Kitty let out a smile at her almost peaceful looking sister. It was rare to see Lydia looking so content and relaxed anymore.

"She deserves the rest."

Kitty looked up and saw James standing in the doorway. She tensed her jaw and narrowed her eyes. She quickly observed him to see how drunk he was. To her surprise, she saw that his eyes were focused and filled with a hint of anxiety. He took a step closer to her, his movements crisp and controlled. "I apologize for coming to you, but if I recall correctly, you did tell me that I wasn't to speak with you until I was sober." Kitty let out a ghost of a laugh.

"Glad to hear you remembered that part of our conversation," she muttered. She turned back to the pair of trousers she was mending and began to sew slightly faster.

"Yes, well, more than what I usually remember when I'm that drunk," he replied. He walked over to a nearby barrel and sat down. "I spoke with Alice the day after we left Tortuga." Kitty arched an eyebrow. "For once, I agreed with what she said. I chose to wallow in self-pity rather than face my errors. I put my pride before my family, and I am so very, very deeply sorry for that. You didn't deserve to be left alone with an infant, wondering what became of me."

"I didn't," she snapped. "All I got from you was a letter of resignation. I don't care that you resigned your post. I just…" She took a deep breath. She felt tears begin to pool in the corner of her eyes and desperately tried to hold them back. "I just wanted my husband home." She heard a long, deep sigh. She finally allowed herself to look up at her husband. His head was lowered, and his jaw was tensed tightly.

"I know," he said. "I spoke with Alice again today. I wanted to ensure that I could say everything that I wanted to right. It took me a week just to figure out how I would talk to you about this. As she so tactfully put it, I fucked up." Kitty stiffened and turned to him when he said those words. Such language from him was extremely uncharacteristic. "I let my men down, and I let my family down, but drinking my problems away and brooding isn't going to solve anything. I realize that now. I will completely understand if you choose never to forgive me for abandoning you and abandoning Little James. I can hardly even forgive myself for everything I've done within the past few months." He ran a hand through his hair and looked up at Kitty. "And if you decide that you want nothing to do with me, I will abide by your wishes. I'll stay out of your way and let you live your life with our son in peace. It is the least I could do after causing you so much worry and pain and heartache."

James almost choked on his words as he spoke. Seeing the anguish in his face as he prepared himself for letting Kitty go if she wanted that… She could stop the tears from falling down her cheeks. "James," she whispered softly. She wiped a tear off her face with her wrist and gulped. "I don't want that. I don't want you to step out of your son's life. I don't want you to leave and never return. I want you to fix yourself." She winced when she realized what that sounded like. "Sorry, I… that didn't come out how I wanted it to."

"But it's exactly what I have to do," James said. He rested his face in his hands and shook his head. Kitty could tell he was very nearly about to break. "I have to fix myself. I have to make so many amends." She took a breath and stood up. She made her way to her husband and pulled up another, empty barrel. She sat down and gently rubbed her husband's shoulder.

"You're trying," Kitty said. "I see that. Your efforts aren't going unnoticed, James. I wish I could just forgive you. I really, truly wish that I could, but the stubborn part of me isn't ready to." James lowered one of his hands and rested it on top of Kitty's. "I'm willing to try, though. As I said before, I want you in my life and I sure as hell want you in our son's."

"Katherine, that's so much more than I deserve from you, and I promise you that I will make every effort to earn your trust and forgiveness," he said. He let out a laugh and shook his head. "I can't believe that it was _Alice_ who got me to finally realize how much of an idiot I've been."

"She's wiser than we give her credit for," Kitty said with a light chuckle "Since when have you and my little sister gotten along?" James merely shrugged in response.

"No idea," he said. Kitty couldn't help herself from laughing at the statement. For a moment, she could tell that he was trying to hold back a smile and a laugh. Finally, James started chuckling with her and let out the first earnest smile she'd seen from him since before he left Port Royal. "I don't even know why that's so funny," he breathed out. Kitty couldn't help herself from letting out waves of giggles. James started to chuckle louder and shook his head. Kitty let out a soft snort from her laughter and quickly covered her mouth. James let out a loud cackle at the sound. For the next few minutes, the Norringtons sat down in that storage room, laughing at the situation, laughing at themselves, laughing at the idea of James and Alice getting along, and laughing at seemingly nothing else than their laughter.

Their laughter came to an abrupt halt when they heard a faint whimper come from Lydia's hammock. Kitty dropped the trousers she was mending and ran up to the hammock. Lydia was breathing heavily, practically hyperventilating and clutching the fabric of the hammock so tightly that her knuckles were bone white. "Lyddie… wake up," Kitty whispered as she shook her sister's shoulder. "Lydia! Please!" A moment later, Lydia's eyes flew open, and she woke with a loud gasp.

"Jones knows we're after the chest," Lydia said. "Will got the key. I don't know where he is. All I know is that Jones left no survivors on the last ship he attacked." She gulped and looked over at James and Kitty. "He's scared, and he's angry."

"That'll only make him more dangerous," James said.

"I know," Lydia snapped. "That's not all I saw, though." Kitty furrowed her brow in confusion. What more could there possibly be? "Jack's time is up. We need to be at the Isla Cruces today."

"Isla Cruces?" Kitty asked.

"It has to be where the chest is," Lydia said. "That's where Jones ordered his crew to set a course for." She jumped out of her hammock and went rushing out of the cabin.

"Lydia!" Kitty called out. She rushed out of the cabin and followed her sister up the stairs to the deck, praying that they were at least close to the island where the Chest of Davy Jones lied.

* * *

_Slimy tentacles wrapped around the ship, its suckers clutching each board so tightly they cracked. Screams and prayers and men begging for rescue filled the air and echoed under the water. The creature's gaping maw opened, revealing thousands of sharp teeth, waiting to devour the ship whole-_

Lydia couldn't get those images out of her head as she rushed up the stairs to the deck. A wave of déjà vu overcame her as she walked onto the familiar deck. That wasn't uncommon for her these past few weeks, however. When she stepped onto the deck, she was greeted with the familiar sight of the crew working and the hot sun bearing down on them. She scanned the deck quickly, searching for Jack and/or Alice. Lydia had long known that it was very rare for the two of them to be apart. She finally found Jack standing by starboard rail, rubbing Alice's back as she vomited into the sea. Alice had been getting sick quite often during the last few weeks. The Swanns were all worried about her frequent sea-sickness, of course, but Lydia didn't have time to worry about a small amount of vomiting when all their lives were possibly at stake now.

"Jack, your hand," Lydia said as she approached him. Jack furrowed his brow in confusion for a moment before widening his eyes and whipping his hand up from his side. Lydia could only watch in horror as the ugly black spot appeared in the center of his palm. "Jones knows you're after the chest."

"How do you?" Jack asked. Alice groaned and turned around, leaning against the rail.

"Nereid powers," Alice said. "Duh. Do you know how Will's doing?" Lydia nodded.

"He has the key," Lydia said. "I don't know where he is, though. My visions only tell me so much." Alice nodded and then abruptly turned around to throw up once more. "Please tell me we're at least close to finding it."

"Land ho!" Gibbs suddenly shouted.

"I believe that answers that," Jack said. He looked back at his hand and grimaced. "I need my jar of dirt." He darted off into his cabin, almost slamming the door behind him. Lydia furrowed her brow in confusion and mouthed the words, 'jar of dirt?' to herself. Alice stood back up and ran her hand through her hair, almost as if she were trying to tidy it up a bit.

"Long story short, a swamp witch named Tia Dalma gave him a jar of dirt as protection from Davy Jones," Alice said.

"How does that possibly help protect him?" Lydia asked, arching an eyebrow skeptically.

"Jones can't touch land more than once every ten years," Alice explained. Lydia nodded and watched as the crew prepared to lower the longboats. Jack rushed out of the cabin holding a very large glass jar filled with a large amount of sandy dirt. "Who's going to shore?"

"Me, Elizabeth, and Lydia are givens," Jack said. "But I also decided on Ragetti, Pintel, and our dear former Commodore." Lydia narrowed her eyes. Alice wasn't on that list of people. Alice seemed to notice this as well and tensed her jaw.

"Jack, I'm going with you," Alice snapped.

"Alice, you've been hurling for the past three weeks," Jack snapped. Alice rolled her eyes and let out a huff.

"That may be true," she said. "But it doesn't affect my ability to use a sword. I'm coming with you."

"So am I." All three turned their heads around and saw Kitty standing behind them, Norrington's arm wrapped around her waist.

"I take it you two made up," Jack said. "I don't want to see canoodling, though." Kitty glared at Jack for a moment before turning to Alice.

"If you're going ashore, I'm coming too. You need someone there who can help you if something happens," Kitty said. "Stitching up trousers and stitching up skin aren't all that different." She turned back to Jack and said, "Does that reassure you?"

"It actually does," Jack said. "To the longboat!" Lydia watched as Gibbs and the rest of the crew finished lowering the boat. Pintel and Ragetti were the first to climb down the ladder. Elizabeth appeared from below deck just in time to see the longboat being prepared. One by one, the shore party descended down the ladder and took their places within the longboat. Lydia was the only one who didn't bring a sword or gun along. Her gifts were weapon enough should the need to fight arise. She only prayed that they could retrieve the chest and get away from that island before Davy Jones and his crew appeared.


	45. Dead Man's Chest: Chapter 17

Alice sat on the longboat next to Jack, who was practically hugging his jar of dirt. She lightly touched the back of his hand with her own, but he immediately recoiled from the touch. Alice looked down and saw that it was the hand marred with the Black Spot. She let out a soft sigh and nodded her head once; trying to show him that she understood his reaction. She then leaned against Jack's shoulder, resting her head in the crook of his neck. He wrapped one arm around her and pressed a kiss to the side of her head. They spoke no words, but the two of them perfectly understood their silent conversation of their fears and reassurances.

"You're pulling too fast," Pintel snapped.

"You're pulling too slow," Ragetti replied. "We don't want the Kraken to catch us."

"I'm saving me strength for when it comes," Pintel argued back. "And I don't think it's Kraken anyway. I always heard it say 'Krayken.'" Alice arched her eye at this. She'd never in her life heard that Kraken pronounced as Krayken except for this moment.

"With a long A?" Ragetti asked.

"Uh huh," Pintel grunted.

"No, no, no, no, no, no," Ragetti said confidently. "Krocken is how it's pronounced in the original Scandinavian, and Kraken's closer to that."

"Well we ain't original Scandinavians, are we?" Pintel snipped. "Krayken."

"It's a mythological creature, I can calls it what I wants," Ragetti argued.

"Mythological implies it doesn't exist," Lydia suddenly said. "It definitely does." She took a long breath and then said, "Besides, Jones pronounces it Kraken. He has every time I've dreamed of him releasing it."

"Ha!" Ragetti shouted. Alice rolled her eyes at their antics and felt the bottom of the longboat begin to brush against the sand. She watched as Pintel and Ragetti hopped out of the boat and grabbed the sides to guide it to shore. Alice turned around and saw Lydia using some her Nereid power to help them push the boat. She turned back around and hopped out of the boat, only to completely miss the bottom of the shallows, trip over her own foot, and fall face first into the water. She immediately found her footing and stood back up, trying to hide the flush that was growing on her face from her sisters, plus Pintel and Ragetti, PLUS Norrington staring at her.

"Like you haven't seen me trip over nothing before," Alice snapped before practically stomping towards the shore. Jack took a shovel out of the longboat and tossed it to Norrington. Lydia stepped out of the longboat and almost seemed to manipulate the water around her so that it never touched her. Elizabeth and Kitty followed her off. Kitty stood by Pintel and Ragetti as Elizabeth took out the compass.

"Guard the boat, mind the tides, and don't touch my dirt," Jack ordered, and he tossed his coat in the boat.

"If someone starts dying, call for me," Kitty said with a faint smirk. "I'll be by the boat." Norrington took a step towards Kitty and kissed her so quickly that Alice could have blinked and missed it. The man nodded and turned around, following Elizabeth. Jack, Alice, and Lydia followed behind, wondering where the compass would lead them on this island. They walked down the soft, white beach for good five or so minutes with Elizabeth confidently leading the way. Eventually, though, her footsteps grew slower, and she would occasionally stop and shake the compass. At one point, Alice saw the compass start spinning around in circles. Elizabeth tossed the compass to the ground and sat down with a huff.

"This doesn't work. And it certainly doesn't show you what you want most," Elizabeth snapped. Jack ran over to the compass and looked down at it. Immediately, it swung towards where Elizabeth was sitting.

"That better mean what I think it means," Alice muttered.

"It works," Jack said. "You're sitting on it."

"Beg your pardon?" Elizabeth asked.

"Move," Jack ordered, flicking his hands in a 'go away' motion. Elizabeth frowned and stumbled to her feet, moving away from the spot where she was sitting. Jack then whistle and motioned for Norrington to start digger. The man glared at Jack and stabbed the second shovel into the white sand. Alice went to pick up the other shovel, figuring she might as well help speed up the process. Norrington looked up at the youngest Swann with a furrowed brow. Alice ignored this and kept digging. She didn't want to waste any time with explaining herself. Not while Jack's life was more at stake now than ever.

* * *

Half an hour later, Alice was sweaty, exhausted, and for some reason, her lower abdomen was hurting. She had to put the shovel down and leave Norrington to do the rest of the shoveling himself. Part of her pitied him for making him do all the work alone, but another part of her still somewhat hated the man and enjoyed watching him suffer. She sat down next to Jack, who was for some reason meditating on a nearby dune. Elizabeth sat on the other side, staring at the ground with a vacant expression. Alice knew that her mind had drifted off to her fear for Will. It'd been doing that the past few weeks.

"You look like hell," Lydia said with a faint smile as she took a place on Alice's other side.

"Thanks," Alice replied with an exhausted chuckle. "I try my best. I think we're close, though. It's weird; I can normally dig longer than that."

"Well it's no secret that the stress has been getting to you lately," Lydia said. "It's not easy being afraid for the one you love." Lydia suddenly stiffened, and she narrowed her eyes. "Hold on…" she heard Lydia murmur to herself. Alice watched as Lydia bit her lower lip and looked around the island. "Something is… it's hard to explain. Just give me a moment to figure this out." She closed her eyes and Alice watched as her sister's breathing slowed to an impossibly slow tempo. Her eyes opened up and were stark white. Elizabeth and Norrington both looked up at Lydia, unnerved by her blank eyes. Alice couldn't blame them; Lydia looked damn creepy with her eyes like that.

Ten minutes later, Norrington's shovel hit something solid. Jack's eyes shot open, and he and Elizabeth stood up. Alice rose to her feet and walked over to the hole with the two of them, peering inside with Norrington. The next moment, all four of them were scrambling to get the remaining sand out of the way of what they'd hit. It had to be the chest. There _couldn't_ be anything but the chest. All their lives depended on that solid object being the chest with the Heart of Davy Jones. They brushed off the sand and discovered a wooden chest inside that hole. Jack and Alice hoisted the chest out of the hole, and Norrington broke off the lock with one hard blow with a shovel. Jack paused for a moment and then opened up the chest. All their faces fell when they saw nothing but letters and other documents inside. Jack cleared off the letters, and then the prize revealed itself.

Underneath the letters was a solid metal chest.

This was it. It had to be it. All four of them leaned closer to the chest, pressing their ears against it. Alice recoiled with a gasp when she heard it.

She heard the distinct "thump-thump" of a heartbeat inside the chest.

"Holy shit," Alice breathed out.

"It's real," Elizabeth whispered.

"You were actually telling the truth," Norrington murmured with a faint smile.

"I do that quite a lot, yet people are always surprised," Jack said.

"With good reason!" Alice froze at the sound of that voice. No way. No _fucking_ way could it be who she thought it was. It was impossible. How did he even find this island? It made no logical sense. It was a like a real-life plot hole or something. Elizabeth leaped up in excitement when she saw who it was and ran towards him.

"Will!" she exclaimed with a gasp. "You're all right! Thank God! I came to find you!" She enveloped her fiancé in a tight hug. They kissed a long, deep, passionate kiss that honestly made Alice feel awkward to look at.

"How did you get here?" Jack asked.

"Sea turtles, mate," Will said after breaking the kiss. "A pair of them strapped to my feet."

"Not so easy, is it?" Jack replied.

"I can't tell if you two are being serious right now or not," Alice muttered more to herself than anyone.

"But I do owe you thanks, Jack." Will continued.

"You do?" Jack asked.

"After you tricked me onto that ship to square you debt with Jones," Will said with a glare. Elizabeth turned to both Alice and Jack with wide eyes and a dropped jaw.

"What?" she squeaked out.

"What?" Jack quickly repeated in a high-pitched voice. Alice looked away and at the ground, avoiding all eye contact with her sister. She knew it'd come to this eventually. If she didn't find out from Will, she definitely would have found out from Kitty or Norrington.

"I was reunited with my father," Will said with a smirk. Elizabeth glared at both Alice and Jack and stormed up to the latter.

"Everything you said to me, every word was a lie!" she snapped.

"Pretty much," Jack replied with a sly smile. "Time and tide, love." Elizabeth turned her glare to Alice shouted, "And you! You didn't even think to tell me the truth." Alice narrowed her eyes at her sister and crossed her arms.

"Would you have agreed to help look for the chest otherwise?" Alice challenged. "You wanted to save the man you loved; I wanted to save the man I loved. I doubt you'd do any different if the situation were reversed." Elizabeth shook her head at her youngest sister. "Kitty didn't even know the whole truth of it either, but she understood." Alice let out a harsh chuckle and said, "I love how you're not even blaming the rest of the crew from keeping that tidbit of information away from you. Just me. Isn't that typical?" Will ran up to the chest and knelt by it, holding the two-pronged key in hand. Alice turned her glare to the idiot boy. He was going to do something stupid, she could feel it.

"What are you doing?" Jack demanded.

"I'm going to kill Jones," Will said simply. Jack immediately drew his sword and pointed it at Will.

"Can't let you do that, William," Jack said. "Because if Jones is dead, who's to call his terrible beastie off the hunt, eh?" Will look down and sighed. He stood up slowly, gripping the key tightly in his hand. Alice moved her hand to the hilt of her sword, ready to draw in it case things got ugly between the five of them. "Now, if you please… the key." Jack held out his hand, ready to take the treasure he'd been waiting for. Will looked as if he were going to give the key to Jack for a moment, but then took the sword from Elizabeth's side and pointed it at Jack.

"I keep the promises I make, Jack," Will sneered. "I intend to free my father. I hope you're here to see it."

"I can't let you do that, either." Alice turned around and saw that Norrington had now drawn his sword and pointed it at Will. "So sorry."

"I knew you'd warm up to me eventually," Jack said as he began to lower his sword. Suddenly, Norrington swung his sword and pointed it at Jack. Alice let a scoff and shook her head. She knew this would happen. James Norrington would never, ever warm up to pirates.

"Lord Beckett desires the content of that chest," he said. "I deliver it; I get my life back. Kitty gets her life back. My son gets the life he deserves."

"Ah, the dark side of ambition," Jack said.

"I prefer to see it as the promise of redemption," Norrington said with a smirk. They all lunged, and Elizabeth screamed. The clanging of metal filled the air as the three-way sword fight began. Alice grabbed her sword and ran to join the fray, but was pushed back by Jack.

"Don't get involved!" he shouted.

"Are you kidding me?" Alice snapped back.

"Stop it!" Elizabeth shouted. Will swung at Jack and he ducked, grabbing the key from Will's hands. Jack ran away from the fight. Norrington kicked Will to the ground.

"Guard the chest!" Jack shouted as he ran away.

"Fine!" Alice shouted back. "Have your dick measuring contest with the boys! See if I give a damn!"

"Guard the chest!" Will ordered Elizabeth as he stood up and ran after both Jack and Norrington.

"No!" Elizabeth shouted. She ran after them shouting, "This is barbaric! This is no way for grown men to- Oh, fine! Let's just pull out our swords and start banging away at each other, that's all there ever is. I've had it! I've had it with wobbly-legged, rum-soaked pirates!" Alice watched as Elizabeth began to throw rocks and sand at the three idiotic men clashing blades. Kitty ran up to Alice and watched the scene unfold.

"Oh my… really James!?" she shouted. "What's even happening? When did Will get here? Why's Lydia in a trance?" Kitty groaned and ran a hand through her hair. "I leave you all alone together for not even an hour, and everything falls into chaos." Alice froze and turned back to the dune where Lydia was kneeling. In all the commotion, she'd forgotten that Lydia was still there, trying to figure out whatever it was she was trying to figure out.

"This is madness!" Elizabeth shouted again, still throwing rocks at the men. None of them seemed to notice anything that was going on outside of their battle. "Enough!" Elizabeth then proceeded to pretend to pass out from heat exhaustion. Alice wasn't terribly surprised when none of them seemed to notice her. Alice sighed and walked up to Elizabeth, who was now sitting on the ground pouting.

"Lizzie, honey," Alice started, wrapping her arm around her sister's shoulder. "I've learned many things in my brief career as a pirate. One of them is that men are oblivious to everything when they're locked in a duel to see who has the bigger cock, which is basically what they're doing now. I doubt they're even actually fighting over the chest. They might think they are, but they're not." Kitty walked up to her sisters and shook her head.

"Men," she snorted. Alice heard a loud gasp from behind her and turned her head. Lydia had come out of her trance and was scrambling to get up. She got to her feet and ran to her sisters.

"We need to get the chest and go; Jones is-" Lydia paused and finally noticed Jack, Will, and Norrington locked in their duel. She furrowed her brow, shook her head and looked back at her sisters. "I don't want to know. Whatever they're fighting about doesn't matter. Jones knows we're here. His crew is on its way as we speak! We need to grab the chest and leave before it's too late." Alice nodded and went to grab the chest. Only there was a slight problem. The chest was missing. All four sisters dropped their jaws at the sight of the missing chest. Out of the corner of their eyes, they saw Pintel and Ragetti holding the chest and running into the jungle.

"Those arse-faced, moronic-" Alice hissed. She didn't even bother to finish her sentence. She just ran off after the two idiots. She heard the shifting of sand behind her and knew that her sisters were following behind her in the chase for Pintel, Ragetti, and the Heart of Davy Jones.


	46. Dead Man's Chest: Chapter 18

Lydia ran for all of two steps before the screaming in her head started. She brought her hands to her head and gripped it tight. _Flee. Flee. Flee,_ the sea life echoed in her head. "Damn it all…" Lydia hissed to herself. They were too late. Jones crew was already close to the island and beginning to surface. It was going to get hard to track who would be fighting who fairly soon. And all of it was over the same damned chest.

"Lydia, are you alright?" Lydia looked up and saw Kitty running up to her, concern etched into her face.

"I'm fine," Lydia said. _Not right. Not men. Not us. Not right. Flee. Flee._ "Don't worry about me. Get that chest from Pintel and Ragetti. Jones's men are close. We don't have time for these pointless squabbles."

"Alice and Elizabeth can handle those two," Kitty said, resting her hand on her sister's shoulder. "You need my help more right now."

"No," Lydia said. "What you need to do is get the longboat ready." Lydia felt a fresh rush of pain through her skull as the fear of the sea life intensified. She let out a groan and fell to her knees in the sand. She knew why this was happening so intensely; it was from hopping between so many creatures when she was in her trance trying to figure out where Jones was and what he was doing. _On the island. They rise on the island._ "Damn it!"

"What?" Kitty asked as she knelt next to her sister.

"We're out of time," Lydia snapped. "They're here." She looked over to her left and saw the empty wooden chest and the hole in the sand. She took a low, deep breath and mentally snapped all of the connections she had with every creature she'd 'possessed' within the last hour. Suddenly her mind was filled with calm and quiet. The chaoticism of all those voices were now gone and she could finally focus on thinking up a plan.

"Lydia…" Kitty whispered. Lydia looked over at the water and watched as the horrifically disfigured crew of Davy Jones emerged. She saw a creature with a face half-human and half-puffer fish. Another man had the head of a hammerhead shark. And yet another had a head that was concealed within a large conch-shell. The curse placed on Barbossa's crew all those years ago paled in comparison to these half-human, half-sea life creatures. Lydia tensed her jaw and rose to her feet.

"Kitty, are you armed?" Lydia asked.

"I have a dagger," she answered. Her face was just as stony as Lydia's as she watched the misshapen beings rush up towards them and the chest.

"Good," Lydia replied. "Because we're about be in large fight in which we are completely outnumbered."

"What about you?" Kitty asked. "Are you armed?"

"I'm always armed when I'm by the water," Lydia replied with a smirk. "You know what we need to do, right?" Kitty nodded her head and drew her tiny, almost pathetic looking dagger. The crew finally reached the two women, their swords drawn and their faces locked in menacing scowls. Kitty looked absolutely white from the sight, but Lydia felt strangely calm looking at those mottled faces. She felt an almost instantaneous change inside her and knew that the inner Nereid was about to break free once more. The crew looked down and looked from the sisters, inside the empty chest, and back to the sister.

"Where is it?" one howled.

"Oh, the heart of your captain?" Lydia inquired almost calmly. This voice speaking hardly even felt like her. "To be honest, I'm entirely sure. I think it ran off with a couple idiots." She looked at the face of the half-puffer fish man and an idea suddenly popped into her head. She could possess sea creatures. These men were half, if not more, sea creature. "I wonder…" she muttered to herself. "Do me a favor, sister, and make sure nothing happens to me."

"Lydia?" Kitty asked. Lydia then met the eyes of the puffer-fish man and focused on feeling his spines on her face. She closed her eyes and imagined her consciousness moving into his mind. Immediately, she felt him trying to fight her off.

"What are you- Get out!" He shouted. Lydia both heard from far away and felt it coming out of her own mouth. When she opened her eyes, she could see herself with white eyes. Lydia lifted the arm of the puffer-fish man and drew her- _his_ \- sword.

"Koleniko?" the hammerhead man asked. _Maccus._ _He'll kill me for this. Get out of my head you she-devil!_ All Lydia said was smirk and let out a dark chuckle, a laugh so dark that she almost couldn't believe it was her.

"Oh he's not here right now," Lydia said. But it wasn't her voice that said those words; it was the puffer-fish man. "Well, I suppose he is. He's fighting damned hard." The crew looked from Koleniko to each other, muttering amongst themselves.

"Lydia!?" Kitty called out.

"Quick observation, sister," Lydia said. Maccus suddenly growled and turned back to his crew.

"They've got a Nereid," he shouted. Suddenly the ringing of a church bell filled the air. She looked over into the distance and saw the abandoned church. The three-way fight must have ended up over there somehow.

"Those idiots…" Lydia muttered under her breath. Maccus looked around his crew and growled.

"You lot take care of this bitch," he ordered pointing at Lydia's body. "The rest of you with me!" The four remaining men drew their swords slowly as Maccus and the other pirates ran off in the direction of the church. Of the four that remained, one looked more like a reef than an actual human being, one looked as if he had characteristics of a jellyfish, one hand the spines of a sea-urchin, and the last looked like a sea turtle. Lydia felt Koleniko's mouth rise into a smirk and she twirled his sword.

"I wonder who'll attack me first," she said with his voice. _You'll get out of my head, you sea-bitch. I am the primary navigator for Davy Jones and he'll have your head for this!_ "Huh… So he's the primary navigator. Interesting… now I really wonder if any of you will dare to attack him.

"We'll get you out of there one way or another," the coral man said. _Palifico._ He turned to Kitty and Lydia's body. Kitty widened her eyes and looked at Koleniko. Lydia forced his head to nod and charged at Palifico. Did Lydia know how to use a sword? Not in the slightest. But Koleniko did and that was good enough to help her fight. Kitty drew her dagger and ducked around the turtleman and the jellyfish man. Her sword clashed against the sword of Palifico. The movements of this fight felt automatic, as if she knew what she was doing without any sort of thought.

"Lydia!" Kitty shouted. Lydia was faring well against Palifico and the urchin-man, but the same could not be said at all for Kitty. She widened her eyes as the turtleman raised his sword at her body. It was clear that she needed to get out of Koleniko if she was going to save her own skin and her sister. She needed to get to the water and wash the five of them away. She ran away from the fight and near the shoreline. She braced herself and stabbed Koleniko in the foot with his own sword. She let out a cry of pain. She was definitely going to be feeling that for the rest of the week. With a single thought, she closed her eyes and found herself back in her own body. She ducked under the sword of the turtleman and ran into the water.

"Come on then!" Lydia challenged as she waded to about waist deep. The current felt strong… just as she was counting on. "Do you honestly care about a woman who can't even fight with a toothpick? I'm the bigger prize to your captain, am I not?" The pirates took the bait and all rushed towards her, save for Koleniko who was still trying to pry his sword out of his foot. "Kitty, get Elizabeth and Alice!"

"What are you doing?" Kitty bellowed. Lydia lifted her arms, feeling the weight of the wave she was trying to create. She felt the strain of it rush down her arms, her back, and her legs, but she blocked as much of it out as she could.

"Just run!" Lydia shouted. With a loud scream, she threw the large wave at the five pirates. At once she was engulfed by the ocean and the five pirates were pulled in with her. She let the water go for a moment so that she could swim to shore and attempt to keep the current going against the pirates, but she was stopped when something rough and hard grabbed her leg. She looked down and saw Palifico with his arm locked around her calf, his coral and stone hands almost cutting through the fabric of her pants and scratching her leg. Lydia swam harder up while trying to kick Palifico off of her. She took her free arm and directed a strong current towards him. His grip tightened as he tried to drag Lydia down to the bottom of the sea with him. Lydia let out a grunt when she felt his hand cut her calf as he was forced to let go of her. Her blood slowly began to stain the water around her. She used that same current to help push her away from the pirates and get to the surface faster. She could already feel her lungs burning from the lake of air.

The moment Lydia felt her feet hit sand she stood up and took in a huge breath. The pain in her lungs subsided and a rush of relief came over her. She looked further inland and saw the miniscule form of Kitty running off in the direction that Elizabeth and Alice had left in. She turned around and watched as the five half-human pirates tried to make their way back to shore to more than likely either kill her or capture her. She took a breath in and then moved her arms as if she were pushing something heavy. The water obeyed her will and began flow towards the five pirates. The current came from either side of her and cycled in front of her, creating a heavy, almost endless wave against the enemy pirates. Their heads would pop out of the water, only to be shoved back in by the sheer force of the current.

"You can't kill us!" Koleniko shouted once as his head bobbed out of the water.

"I don't need to kill you!" Lydia yelled back with a smirk. "I just need to keep you there long enough for us to get away with the Chest!" Already, a dull pain was beginning to spread through her arms. She looked over at the abandoned church and groaned. "Come on…" she hissed to herself. "Get your heads out of your asses you three and move it!" She felt her control waver for a moment and immediately turned back to her assailants, reclaiming control over the harsh current. She had no idea how long she'd need to keep this up. She only knew that she needed to make sure that she maintained control over this for as long as possible.

* * *

Alice looked behind her briefly and saw that it was only Elizabeth who'd bothered to follow her. She groaned to herself, knowing that Lydia probably stayed behind to do some "noble" self-sacrificing thing. Alice was glad Lydia had finally developed a backbone over the last two years, but was still frustrated with her eldest sister's selfless, mother hen outlook on life. Some selfishness would do her good, but she clearly hadn't learned that yet.

Alice moved thick leaves and vines out of her patch with her free hand as she ran after Pintel and Ragetti. Elizabeth suddenly darted off in another direction and went further into the clusters of palm trees. Alice furrowed her brow for a moment and then realized what Elizabeth was trying to do. She was going to cut off Pintel and Ragetti. A minute later, Elizabeth rushed out of the trees and blocked the two. She smirked and reached for her sword, only to freeze and remember that Will currently had it. Pintel and Ragetti smirked, dropped the chest, and drew their own swords. "Hello, poppet," Alice heard Pintel say.

"Hello, dipshits," Alice said. She strolled up behind them and drew her own sword. The two men paled and stared at the short girl with the sword. She smirked and let out a short chuckle. It was comical to her that they were afraid of her. At the same time, part of her was glad they were smart enough to know that she should be feared.

Suddenly they heard the clanging of swords and the sound of something large and heavy being rolled on the ground. All four of them paused and watched as Will and Norrington dueled on top of a broken mill wheel, rolling through the jungle by the movement of the pair's feet. They all scrunched their faces in confusion as they watched the wheel roll almost casually by them. A moment later, Jack burst through the undergrowth, chasing after them. Alice let out an annoyed groan and glared at the three men. "You're all idiots!" she shouted. Jack, Norrington, and Will didn't seem to hear her though. It wasn't as though Alice actually expect them to acknowledge her. She was more shouting at them for her own benefit.

When the wheel rolled out of sight, Pintel and Ragetti looked at each other and then made their advances. Pintel advanced towards the unarmed Elizabeth while Ragetti prepared to duel against Alice. Alice was more than ready to put Ragetti in his place when an axe flew out of nowhere and buried itself into a nearby palm. All four of them turned in the direction of the axe and widened their eyes when they saw Davy Jones' Crew rush out of the undergrowth, screaming with weapons drawn. "Oh shit!" Alice shouted. Pintel and Ragetti both tossed their swords to Elizabeth, turned around, grabbed the chest and prepared to run off. Elizabeth looked at the swords in shock and then ran off after Pintel and Ragetti once more. Alice followed suit, though this time the intent wasn't to kick the asses of two idiots. It was to run away from a horde of undead, part sea creature, part human hybrids that wouldn't think twice about killing them to save their master's heart.


	47. Dead Man's Chest: Chapter 19

Alice watched in horror as the chest got knocked from the hands of Pintel and Ragetti when they stupidly ran on either side of the same palm tree. All of them froze and ran back for the chest. Unfortunately, that also meant that they were now at the mercy at the pirate horde when they were down one weapon. Alice clashed swords with a pirate with the head of a hammerhead shark and let out a high squeak. Ragetti fell to the ground as a chain wrapped around his ankle and dragged him down. "Sword!" he shouted. Elizabeth tossed a sword to Ragetti as one of Jones' men ran up to him.

"Sword!" Pintel yelled as two men ran towards him. Elizabeth passed him the sword and he slashed at the pirates. Alice kicked the hammerhead pirate in the ribs and got as far away from him as she could.

"Sword!" Elizabeth shouted. Alice tossed her the sword and ran for the chest. As soon as she turned around, she saw a pirate with a conch-shell head pick it up and run off.

"Oi! Get back here!" Alice shouted. The pirate merely laughed and ran off into the jungle. Alice let out a low growl and ran off after the pirate. She ran through the undergrowth, pushing leaves and other plants out of her way as she chased after Conch-head. She didn't care that her legs and lungs were burning; she just needed to get that chest. Suddenly, she heard a loud _clunk_ and watched as the pirate's head flew off of his body. He dropped the chest and the body kept running. Alice tilted her head in confusion and looked in the direction of the thrown object. Standing there was none other than Jack. He smirked as he strolled up lackadaisically to her and the chest. "Nicely done," Alice said. "You're still an idiot, but nicely done."

"Thanks love," Jack replied as he bent down to set the chest right side up. He looked up at Alice and took out the key to the chest from his shirt. Alice smiled and laughed, running a hand through her messy blonde hair.

"You actually managed to get it," she said.

"Anido. Anido! Follow my voice, follow my voice!" Conch-head called out. Alice watched as the body stumbled around the undergrowth. "To the left. No! Other left. Go…" There was a loud thump as the body ran straight into a tree. "No, that's a tree."

"Oh, shut up," both Jack and Alice snapped. Alice held her breath and Jack inserted the key slowly into the chest. He turned it in the heart shaped lock and Alice watched as the claws on the crab-heart lock clicked open. The metal squares on the outer rim of the chest popped out with a loud cling. Alice didn't realize she'd been holding her breath until after Jack opened the chest. She let out a loud gasp when she looked inside. Lying at the bottom of the metal chest was a real human heart. It was pink and red and yellow where the fat was and purplish where there would be veins. It expanded and contracted with every slow, steady, ' _thump-thump._ '

"Holy shit…" Alice breathed out as she watched it. Jack reached in almost hesitantly and plucked the heart out of the chest. Suddenly, there was yelling and snarling in the distance. Alice and Jack looked up to see the rest of Jones' crew running after Pintel, Ragetti, and Elizabeth. Jack quickly stuffed the heart into his shirt, closed the chest, grabbed Alice's wrist, and ran. Alice wasn't arguing with him on this. She was unarmed and they had the heart; there wasn't a whole lot of incentive to stay and fight anymore. Now they just needed to get the hell off that island and as far away from Davy Jones as possible. Jack never once let go of Alice's hand as they ran through the jungle and towards the shore. They ran for a good minute or two before bursting from the undergrowth and hitting sand. They saw the longboat out in the distance and immediately ran for it. However, that wasn't the only thing Alice saw.

Alice also saw Lydia standing at the shore, holding up a strong, continuous wall of water that at least five part-human, part-fish heads were popping out of occasionally. As she and Jack got closer to the longboat, she saw that Lydia looked paler than normal. She had beads of sweat forming on her brow and her entire body looked shaky and weak. How long had she been holding that wall?  
"Where's everyone else?" Lydia asked with a clenched jaw.

"Norrington and Will are dueling each other," Jack said as he grabbed the jar of dirt out of the longboat. He opened up the top and spilled out some of the dirt. "Elizabeth, Pintel, and Ragetti are fighting of a horde of Jones' men, and Kitty is off somewhere doing something that I don't know about."

"Well they better get here soon!" Lydia shouted back. She gritted her teeth and pushed against the water again, let out a loud yelp as she did so. "God this hurts."

"Just hold on, Lyddie," Alice called out. She watched as Jack took the heart out of his shirt and stuffed it into the jar of dirt. He began to scoop handfuls of the dirt back into the jar to cover the heart. The moment Jack got the last of the dirt into the jar and shut the lid, Alice heard a yell behind her. She screamed and ducked as one of Jones' men swung his sword down at her and Jack. Jack grabbed the oar from inside the boat and used it to block the sword. Alice ran away from the longboat and towards Lydia. Her sister looked as if she were going to pass out at any moment, but was forcing herself to hold on to protect her sisters.

Suddenly, Elizabeth, Pintel, Ragetti, and the rest of the horde of pirates burst out of the jungle. Pintel and Ragetti were running with the chest. Elizabeth carried two swords and the third, Alice's sword, was in the hands of Ragetti. "Sword!" Alice shouted. Ragetti tossed his sword to Alice, who somehow caught it from that long distance. Pintel swung the chest with one hand and knocked out one of Jones' pirates. Alice clashed swords with the hammerhead pirate who was charging at Lydia. She was going to protect her sister at all costs as she held back those other five pirates.

Then the mill wheel burst out of the jungle. Alice could hear both Norrington and Will screaming as the wheel rolled its way into the shallows. A moment later, Kitty burst out of the jungle, her pathetic little dagger in hand. "James!" she shouted. All the fighting seemed to stop as everyone watched the wheel. Lydia dropped her jaw and furrowed her brow in confusion. She suddenly cried out in pain and stiffened again, redirecting her focus back to the water wall she'd created. The wheel fell sideways into the water with a loud splash and water flew up around it. Alice was too preoccupied to watch was happening at the wheel. She now had a good three pirates to fight off to protect Lydia while she held back another five.

* * *

"James!" Kitty shouted as she watched the mill wheel tip sideways into the water. She ducked past the horde of pirates and ran towards the wheel. James and Will both stumbled out of the wheel and fell into the water, too dizzy to stay stable. Will finally noticed that a battle was going on and drew his sword.

"Right," Will said. He attempted to move forward but immediately pulled an Alice and fell face first into the water. Kitty ran up to James and immediately wrapped his free arm around her shoulders for support.

"Thanks dear," James replied, his eyes full of a woozy daze. He stumbled in the direction of the long boat. After a few steps, he let go of Kitty and ran straight for it. Kitty turned around when she heard a yell and ducked. One of Jones' men had caught up to her. She frantically ran around the angler-fish like man, stabbing him in the sides with her dagger when she could. It didn't seem to have any effect though. They were already dead, how could they kill them again.

"James!" Kitty shouted. She looked back at James and saw him stuff something into his shirt. He took his sword and ran up to Kitty, clashing blades with the pirate who was attacking her. Her back suddenly hit Alice, who had been back up to the longboat. In the distance, Lydia was holding up that great wave-wall with one arm and swatting back pirates with a whip of water around her with her other. She looked very nearly about to collapse. Her movements were stiff and jerky. Elizabeth was nearly at the longboat as well, as was Jack, Pintel, Ragetti, and Will.

"Will!" Elizabeth shouted. Kitty turned her head and saw Will lying half inside the longboat, apparently unconscious.

"Leave him lie! Unless you plan on using him to hit something with," Jack said.

"We're not coming out of this," Elizabeth said.

"Not with the chest," James said. He looked at everyone and said, "Get in the boat." James grabbed the chest in his hands and looked up at Elizabeth.

"You're mad," she said.

"Don't wait for me," James said.

"I'm coming with you," Kitty said, looking at her husband dead in the eyes. She was making it clear that there would be no arguing against her without even saying a word. James merely nodded and started to run off with the chest. Kitty followed behind him, baring her dagger.

"Kitty!" Alice shouted from behind. But Kitty wasn't listening, she was fully intending on staying with her husband through this. They'd get out of this alive. Her husband was smart. He wouldn't have run off with the chest if he didn't have a plan to make it back to Port Royal. James ran for a few more steps before tripping over some undergrowth, dropping the chest. Kitty scrambled to grab the chest while James went for his sword. Suddenly, the pirate with the conch-shell head stepped on the sword. James picked the chest slowly and looked at the pirate.

"Your bravery is wasted. I shall pry the chest away from your cold… dead… hands," said the pirate, holding his head in his arms. Kitty looked from James to the pirate.

"Here you go," James said quickly, tossing the chest to the pirate. He dropped his head and caught the chest. "Come on." He grabbed Kitty's arm and ran, dragging her behind him as they ran deeper into the jungle. Once they were sure they weren't being follow, James stopped and collapsed against a palm tree, breathing heavily.

"James, they have the chest," Kitty shrieked. "They have the heart!"

"No they don't," James said with a smile. "And Jack doesn't have the Letters of Marque anymore." Kitty furrowed her brow in confusion. She knelt next to her husband as he pulled out the leather folder of documents from his shirt. Her eyes widened in shock and she began to grin uncontrollable.

"But the heart," she said, her grin faltering. James reached into his shirt with the other hand and pulled out a human heart. A real, beating, pulsating mass of pink and red muscle was sitting in her husband's hands right now.

"With these, I'll get out lives back," he said. "I'll get our son's life back. I can redeem myself. Beckett will reward us with enough for us to settle down and never have to work for the rest of our lives, Kitty." Kitty felt her eyes begin to tear up as she enveloped her husband in a tight embrace. The hand holding the Letters of Marque wrapped around her and pulled her closer to him. "All we need to do is get off this island." Kitty pulled back and nodded, ready figure out this next obstacle with him. She was sure they could do it. They had to. Kitty's mind was solely focused on getting off this island and getting back to her son and her life.

* * *

Lydia was in pain. She was in so much pain that she could hardly breathe. Everything felt strained. Every muscle felt as if it was burning her from the inside out, but she had to persist. She watched as Kitty and Norrington ran into the jungle with the chest.

"I say we respect their final wish," Jack said.

"Aye," Pintel agree.

"Into the longboat!" Jack shouted. Lydia held back the water as she watched Elizabeth, Alice, Pintel, Ragetti, and Jack all pile in.

"Lydia, come on!" Alice shouted. Lydia prepared to drop her wall of water and get to the longboat, but then Jones' men came running at her from the jungle, carrying the chest. They didn't care about the chest anymore; they were just out for blood now. "Lydia!" Alice shouted.

"Come on Lydia!" Elizabeth shouted. "Hurry up! We need to go!" Lydia looked from the pirates to her sisters. She closed her eyes, mentally resolving herself to her fate. Even after dropping the wall, she doubted she had the energy to make it to the longboat in time.

"I'm sorry," Lydia croaked. She dropped her wall of water and then directed the current to the longboat, pushing it as far away from shore as she possible could. She let out a loud cry as she felt every part of her explode with pain and then collapsed.

"LYDIA!" she heard Elizabeth and Alice scream in the distance. Her vision blurred around her, but she could still see Palifico, Maccus, and the rest of the crew of Davy Jones surrounding her. Every part of her was shaking. She doubted she could even stand right now, much less run. She let out a bitter laugh and looked up at Maccus.

"Parley," she breathed out with a bitter chuckle. It was almost ironic how her adventure with pirates was coming full circle. She'd first encountered Barbossa and his men with a parley, and now she'd die at the hands of Davy Jones with one. It felt ridiculous, but she felt herself unable to stop laughing, even as the pirate carrying chain shots wrapped her wrists in those chains behind her back. She had no idea why she was laughing. Was it because she knew she managed to get two of her sisters to freedom? Was it because she was so exhausted? Was it because every inch of her was stinging with pain and soreness? Was it because she knew she'd be in the afterlife away from Beckett forever? Was it because she'd be reunited with Barbossa soon forever? Maybe it was because of all of those factors. Or maybe she'd just finally driven herself to exhaustion and pain induced insanity. All she knew was that she'd see Davy Jones himself soon enough and he'd likely be the last thing she ever saw on this earth.


	48. Dead Man's Chest: Chapter 20

Alice watched with numb horror as Lydia fell to the ground and was surrounded by Jones' men. "Lydia…" she breathed out. She closed her eyes and let tears fall down her face. She shook her head, blocking that image from her mind. Her sister was in the hands of Davy Jones. It was all her fault. She should have grabbed Lydia. She should have protected her better. She should have dragged Lydia's self-sacrificing ass to the longboat before even thinking of getting in it herself. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Jack sitting next to her. He immediately wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a tight hug.

"I'm so sorry, love," Jack whispered. "It's bad now, but she'll be fine. We can use the Heart to get her back. Don't fret." Alice took a deep breath and nodded. They had finally gotten back to the _Pearl_ when Alice saw Jones' men take Lydia's limp form under the water with them as they most likely made their way back to the _Flying Dutchman._ "She can handle herself," Jack said as the longboat met the _Pearl._ "Lydia's gotten a lot of bite over the last few years." Alice let out a faint smile and looked back down.

"But what about Kitty? What about Norrington?" she asked.

"Norrington's the kind of bloke that just keeps popping back up like a daisy," Jack said. "We'll see them again somewhere. They'll probably get off the island with a couple of sea turtles or something." Alice let out a laugh and nodded. A rope ladder was tossed down from the _Black Pearl_ and into the longboat. She took Jack's marked hand and gave it a quick squeeze before making her way up the ladder. They all rushed up the ladder as fast as they could. The moment Alice hit the deck, she felt her face go steely, and she felt herself begin to adopt her "third-in-command" persona.

"Ready the sails! Raise the longboat! We're getting out of here as fast as we can!" Alice shouted. "Move your pathetic asses!" She heard a loud groan from behind her and saw that Will was beginning to regain consciousness. Elizabeth rushed over to her fiancé and steadied him as much as she could.

"What happened to the chest?" Will asked. Alice tensed her jaw and watched as the crew worked. The chest didn't matter anymore. They had the heart; it was sitting inside Jack's jar of dirt. They just needed to run as far away as they could before Jones discovered it was missing now.

"Norrington and Kitty took it to draw them off," Elizabeth said. "And… and Lydia stayed behind as well. To draw the attention of Jones' crew."

"You're pulling too hard!" Pintel shouted as they pulled up the longboat.

"You're aren't pulling hard enough," Ragetti shouted back.

"And I'll pull your guts out of your arse if you two don't shut up," Alice snapped at them. They turned to her, their eyes wide with fear, and went back to raising the longboat. Oddly enough, it made them work more efficiently.

"Where's the other half of the shore party?" Gibbs asked as he ran up to Jack. Jack was walking to the helm as fast as he could, clutching his jar of dirt tightly to his chest.

"Fell behind," was all he said. Alice tensed her jaw, slightly annoyed with his lack of concern for her sisters. Her main concern wasn't Lydia, though. Even Alice knew that Lydia could probably handle herself on the _Dutchman._ After all, she survived being married to Beckett. She could survive this. No, she was more worried about Kitty. Now they'd essentially marooned Kitty and Norrington on an island, and more likely than not, Norrington had given up the chest to Jones' men. Maybe he had some plan for getting off Isla Cruces. He'd _better_ have a plan for getting off Isla Cruces. Alice would kill the man if he didn't. There wasn't any way in hell that Alice would let Kitty starve to death on an island far away from her child because of her husband's bravado.

"My prayers be with them," Gibbs said. He then shrugged and said, "Best not wallow in our grief. The bright side is, you're back and made it off free and clear." The next moment, there was a large crash of waves as something shot out of the water. Alice stumbled from the movement of the water and widened her eyes when she saw it. The _Flying Dutchman_ had just appeared out of the water, ready to attack the _Black Pearl._ "Lord on high, deliver us," Gibbs said, quickly crossing himself. Alice looked at the ship, wide-eyed in shock and then gasped when she saw a familiar figure tied to the mast.

"Lydia," Alice breathed out. "Jack, he has Lydia. She's still alive."

"I'll handle this, mate," Jack said, strolling forward. "Oi! Fish face!" He held up the jar of dirt and waved it around. "Lose something, aye? Scungilli!" The next moment, Jack was tumbling down the stairs. Alice groaned, shook her head and walked over to the stairs. That idiot. That absolute fucking idiot. Jack's hands shot up a moment later, still clutching the unbroken jar of dirt. "Got it!" Alice groaned and watched as he stood up and began to stroll across the deck. Every member of the crew was looking at him as if he'd finally lost his marbles. "Come to negotiate, eh, have you, you slimy git. Look what I got." Jack held up the jar of dirt and began to sing, "I've got a jar of di-irt, I've got a jar of di-irt, and guess what's inside it?" The next moment, the canons on the _Flying Dutchman_ rolled out, and Jack froze.

"Good job, Jack," Alice snorted. "You pissed off the armed ghost pirate that wants to kill you. Excellent planning. You should get an award of some kind." Jack turned to Alice with a scared look on his face.

"Hard to starboard," he said quietly. Alice nodded quickly and then turned to the crew.

"HARD TO STARBOARD!" Alice shouted. "BRACE UP THE FOREYARD! GIBBS, GET US OUT OF HERE!"

"Aye!" Gibbs shouted back. The crew rushed to their positions. Alice ran up to the helm and watched as the sails were let down and the ship turned rapidly to its starboard side. They needed to get the wind on their side to get away. If only Lydia hadn't gotten caught; that would have given them a sorely needed advantage. A few moments later, she heard the sound of cannon fire and watched as cannonballs were shot from the _Dutchman_ and into the _Pearl._ One of them shot through the doors of the Captain's cabin.

"She's on us!" Pintel shouted. "She's on us!" Alice bit her lower lip and looked back at the _Dutchman._ She heard a loud crash and felt the sting of something sharp slice across her face. She let out a squeal and watched as the cannonball fell through the deck. She lifted a hand to her cheek and felt a clean cut. She turned around behind her and saw that the cannonball had shattered one of the lamps. That must have been what cut her; one of the shards of the glass. Another shot hit the _Pearl,_ and one of the new crew members went flying, screaming as he fell into the ocean. Jack appeared on the deck and quickly took the wheel from Gibbs with one hand. The other arm was still clutching the jar of dirt.

"Make faster!" Alice shouted to the crew. She looked down to the _Pearl_ and muttered, "Come on, girl. You can make it through this. Show us what you got." A few more shots rang through

"She's falling behind!" Elizabeth shouted.

"Aye!" Gibbs shouted as he ran to look behind them. Alice turned her head and saw that the _Dutchman_ was fading into the distance. "We've got her!"

"We're the faster?" Will asked.

"Of course," Alice said. "Against the wind, the _Dutchman_ has us beat without a doubt. But with the wind…"

"We rob her advantage," Will realized.

"Now you've got it, Turner," Alice replied. She watched anxiously as the _Dutchman_ began to shrink more and more into the distance. She waited with baited breath, waiting to see if they would continue chasing them or not.

"They've given up!" Marty finally shouted after about five minutes. Alice let out a sigh of relief and ran up to Jack. She immediately threw her arms around him and kissed him hard on the mouth. She felt Jack smile into the kiss before pulling away. Jack looked at her face and frowned.

"You're bleeding," he said.

"I don't care! We're safe," Alice breathed out. The crew let out loud cheers. In the corner of her eye, she saw Pintel and Ragetti do some form of dance reminiscent of a jig. Will strode up to Alice and Jack and looked both of them in the eye. Alice had a very strong feeling she was going to want to punch Will in the mouth for whatever he was about to suggest.

"My father is on that ship. If we can outrun her, we can take her. We should turn and fight," Will said.

"Will, that crew can't be killed!" Alice snapped. "We'd all be slaughtered! Do you think that I wouldn't want to go back and get Lydia? Of course I'd want to fight for her. But it's not smart. We don't have the means."

"Besides, why fight when you can negotiate?" Jack pointed out. He put the jar of dirt almost lovingly on the banister and pet it. "All one needs is the proper leverage. Suddenly there was a loud shudder, and every fell to the side. It was almost as if the _Pearl_ hit something. Alice watched in horror as the jar of dirt fell to the deck, shattering into many pieces. Jack and Alice both ran down the stairs to the broken jar of dirt. Jack began sifting through the dirt, searching for the heart. Alice felt herself pale when she realized that the heart wasn't there. "Where is it?" Jack murmured. "Where's the thump thump?"

"Oh shit," Alice muttered. Where could it have—Suddenly, it hit her. No wonder Norrington was so eager to be a distraction on the island. He had it. He had to have had it. Norrington stole the heart from the jar of dirt. Jack and Alice looked at each other with wide eyes when both of them made the realization.

"We must have hit a reef!" one sailor shouted.

"No…" Alice heard Will muttered. "It's not a reef! Get away from the rail!" Will grabbed Elizabeth and pulled her away from the rail.

"What is it?" Elizabeth asked.

"The Kraken," Will answered. Alice gasped and looked at Jack.

"To arms!" Will shouted.

"Load guns! Defend the mast!" Gibbs shouted. Alice gulped and ran towards some of the ropes for the sails. They needed to either kill this thing or get out of there. She refused to let this beast take Jack or the _Pearl._

* * *

Lydia let out a hiss of pain as she was unceremoniously thrown onto the deck of the _Flying Dutchman._ The dark, rotting wood was stained with green and brown algae and barnacles galore. Seaweed hung from seemingly every place it could, and the occasional unlucky fish flopped on the deck, struggling to return to its home in the water. She could almost resonate with that dying, suffocating fish; trapped with no hope of escape. The crew laughed at her expense. Lydia tensed her jaw and let out a low groan. She shifted herself up to her knees as well as she could without the use of her arms and was immediately met with a hard punch to the face.

Lydia let out a holler as she felt the cartilage in her nose crack. A stream of hot liquid flowed down her face from her nose and she immediately tasted the salty, metallic tang of blood and mucus. A fist grabbed her by the hair and turned her head to face her attacker. It was Koleniko, the pirate she'd briefly possessed. "That's for getting my head, you sea-bitch," he snarled.

"If one measly punch is my only punishment, then it was worth it," Lydia hissed. A part of her recoiled at the words coming out of her mouth. It felt automatic; almost as if it wasn't her speaking. That had been happening so much more lately, especially when she was in hopeless, painful situations. Koleniko growled and raised his arm to strike her again, but was immediately stopped when a large crab claw grabbed her by the wrist. Lydia felt her blood run cold as she looked up. She saw a man with a graying coat covered in barnacles and slime from the tentacles that flowed from his face like a convoluted beard. The two human-like blue eyes sat on his mottled, green face were fixed upon her in a sharp, intimidating glare. Lydia immediately recognized him from her dreams and from the vision of the creatures she'd possessed in the past moths.

Lydia was looking into the eyes of Davy Jones.

"Would anyone care to tell me exactly what _this_ is?" he demanded.

"They had a Nereid," Maccus said, coming up to the front of the crowd of half-human men. "I figured you'd want to deal with her yourself." Jones tossed Koleniko almost lazily to the side and knelt down to Lydia's level, looking her dead in the eyes.

"You figured right," Jones said. "Tell me, how did you end up with Jack Sparrow?"

"Does it really matter?" Lydia questioned. "Why haven't you just killed me yet?"

"Does it matter?" Jones asked back. Lydia let out a scoff and looked down.

"So what do you plan on doing with me, Davy Jones?" Lydia questioned.

"Do you fear death?" he asked in a dangerously low voice. Lydia couldn't help herself from laughing at the question. Did she fear death? Did _she_ fear death? She couldn't even recall how many times she'd wished herself dead in the last few months. Now she was faced with the very real possibility of it and all she could do was laugh. She really had reached the zenith of her hysteria and insanity. Jones' eyes narrowed at the laughing Nereid sitting before. Lydia finally calmed down enough to look Jones back in the eye.

"I welcome it with open arms," Lydia said. She let another bitter chuckle and said, "It doesn't matter if you kill me. Another one of my kind will just be born again. So if you are going to kill me, do it quick. I hate drawn out executions." Now it was Jones who began to laugh at her. The rest of his crew joined in slowly, and soon the entire crew of the _Flying Dutchman_ was laughing with their captain at Lydia's expense. Suddenly Jones stopped laughing and cut off the rest of his crew.

"I'd rather get a Nereid out of this world for good," Jones said. He stood up and paced around Lydia, his crab leg clunking on the deck with each step he took. "You know, you're the first Nereid we've caught. All the other ones I encountered were smart enough to try to flee. So why didn't you?"

"Overexertion got the best of me," Lydia replied simply. "My role with Sparrow is over. Why bother running if there's nothing to run to?" Jones paused and looked down at her.

"You've loved and lost and then suffered again," he said. "It doesn't take much to see that. It's the only reason you'd have this much of a death wish."

"Is there a point in prolonging my sentencing?" Lydia finally snapped. The words just flew out of her mouth without any control to them. "Just get whatever you're going to do over with. If you're not going to kill me, what are you going to do? Conscript me into your crew? Hold me in the brig for eternity? Maroon me?"

"Nay," Jones said. "I'm sending you to the Locker." Lydia's narrowed her eyes at his words. They didn't make any sense to her in the slightest.

"But you have to kill me to send me to the Locker," Lydia said.

"Aye, it could be called the Land of the Dead," Jones said, pacing around her once more. "And its denizens cannot die… but no one ever said that they were all dead." Lydia paled at the implication and widened her eyes. He could keep her trapped in the Locker for as long as he wanted, and so long as she was there, another Nereid couldn't be reborn because Lydia had never actually died. There would no longer be fifty Nereids in the world; there would only be forty-nine. It was one less for him to have to deal with… one less threat to his power. And that was exactly what she was; a threat. If she could possess a member of his crew, she could potentially possess him or even the Kraken. Of course, she couldn't do either in her current state of fatigue. "But before I do that, I want you to witness the demise of your friends." He looked at his crew and shouted, "Tie her to the mast. Make sure she has a good view of the _Pearl._ "

Lydia widened her eyes and gasped when the hands of three crew members grabbed her and hoisted her to her feet. "Prepare to attack! We're going to pay the _Pearl_ a visit before she leaves the Isla Cruces," Jones commanded. Lydia struggled almost feebly against the men. She felt herself get practically thrown against the mast. Two of the men held her there (she wasn't sure why two men were necessary; it wasn't as if she was in the state to put up much of a fight) while the other went and grabbed a long rope encrusted with sea scum and seaweed. She felt the slimy yet rough rope go around her again and again and again. She let out a faint grunt when it was pulled tight against her and tied off.

Jones hobbled up to her and smirked. "Don't worry; we won't be underwater long. You can hold your breath for a few moments." The next moment, the ship plunged into the water and Lydia took in as much as she possibly could in one large gasp. She felt herself being rocketed through the sea as the _Dutchman_ traveled. Part of her felt her strength beginning to come back just from that alone. Perhaps that's why he saw fit to tie her to the mast; to ensure she couldn't escape while they were underwater. She felt the water rush past her face as the ship began to ascend. When the ship broke through the surface, Lydia let out a gasp as she felt air begin to rush into her lungs again. "That was almost pathetic," Jones snorted. "Most of you can hold your breath longer than that." Lydia glared at Jones and then turned her attention to the _Black Pearl._

"Oi! Fish face!" He held up the jar of dirt and waved it around. "Lose something, aye? Scungilli!" The next moment, Jack was tumbling down the stairs. Jones slowly turned to looked at Lydia, a look of clear confusion on his face. At was almost as if he were waiting for some explanation.

"I have no idea," Lydia said. "I'm just as confused as you lot are."

"Got it!" Jack shouted. His hands clutching the jar of dirt shot into view the next moment. The rest of him popped up, and he began to stroll across the deck. "Come to negotiate, eh, have you, you slimy git? Look what I got." The idiot then began to sing, "I've got a jar of di-irt, I've got a jar of di-irt, and guess what's inside it?"

"Enough," Jones snapped. He turned to his crew and nodded. Lydia felt the rumble of cannons being moved and knew that Jones was preparing for his assault. Lydia watched as the grin fell from Jack's face and Alice snapped at him. He then said something unintelligible from her distance.

"HARD TO STARBOARD!" Alice shouted the next moment. "BRACE UP THE FOREYARD! GIBBS, GET US OUT OF HERE!" The crew of the _Black Pearl_ scrambled to their positions and immediately began to turn around to flee.

"Hard to starboard!" Jones shouted. "Send his beloved Pearl back to the depths. FIRE!" Lydia screamed and could do nothing but watch as the cannonballs tore through the back of the _Black Pearl._ The crack of wood and glass from this distance was almost nauseating. Jones smirked and looked over to his crew. "Let them taste the triple guns."

"Aye Captain," the crew member said, his voice creeping out in an almost ghostly rasp. Lydia tensed her jaw and watched on in horror as shot after shot hit the _Pearl_. The _Black Pearl_ appeared to be getting further and further away. Lydia felt a small spark of hope flare inside her. They could still get away. The _Pearl_ was faster than the _Dutchman._ Slowly the shots began to miss more and more until they couldn't even touch the _Black Pearl_ any longer.

Lydia was nearly overjoyed when Koleniko shouted, "They're out of range!" a few minutes later. Jones narrowed his eyes and let out a low growl.

"Break off pursuit!" He shouted. "Run her light and douse canvas!" Lydia smirked and let out a low laugh.

"You giving up, Captain Jones?" she asked almost tauntingly. "I wouldn't have thought of you as a quitter."

"Who said I was, little sea-bitch?" Jones responded. "Gents, you know what to do." Maccus smirked and then took out a whip. Lydia watched as crew members took places on the spokes of a large wheel in the middle of the ship. She furrowed her brow as the crew pushed the wheel around, raising something large in the center. Finally, it dropped with a loud, loud thud. Lydia gasped when she immediately felt every creature in the ocean "wake up" and began to practically radiate fear. She widened her eyes and felt her legs give out from beneath her. If she weren't tied to the mast, then she'd be on the ground by now. Only one creature she knew of could have evoked such a response from the water.

"No," Lydia breathed out.

"You sense her, don't you?" Jones taunted. "My pet, the Kraken. And you know exactly what she's going to do to your friends on the _Pearl,_ don't you?"

"Please, don't-" Lydia begged, but she was almost immediately gagged by one of Jones' tentacles. She almost felt like she was going to vomit from the taste and the feel of the slimy appendage.

"Just be quiet and watch," Jones hissed. "You know better than to beg." He removed the tentacle from her mouth. Lydia tensed jaw and held back tears as she watched the _Pearl_ in the distance, mentally preparing herself to witness its final moments. She could only pray that Jack, Alice, Will, and Elizabeth could find a way to either escape or kill the mighty Kraken.


	49. Dead Man's Chest: Chapter 21

"It'll attack starboard!" Will shouted as he grabbed a sword. "I've seen it before." Alice rushed to her feet and drew her own sword from its sheathe. "Run out the cannons and hold for my signal!" Alice ran towards her sister, who was grabbing harpoons with the rest of the crew. She felt Jack yank on her arm and lead her over towards the longboats. She dropped her jaw and ripped her arm away from Jack.

"Alice, come on," Jack snapped.

"No," Alice snapped back. Jack looked shocked and taken back by that. "Jack, this crew is ready to fight for you and for the _Pearl_. If you honestly think I'm getting this ship go down without a fight then you're sorely mistaken."

"But Alice-"

"I guess I was also mistaken when I thought you'd fight for the _Pearl_ too," Alice continued, shaking her head. She almost couldn't believe him right now. She knew he wasn't exactly the bravest of souls, but to run away like this? It downright disappointed her. "You can run away, but I'm not coming with you. If we all die here, I'll let it be on your conscience. Can you live with yourself with that much blood on your hands? With my blood on your hands?"

"That's not the point-"

"Then what is the point, Jack?" Alice snapped. She shook her head and sighed. "You know what? Fine. Run away. After all, you're the most important person to yourself, right?"

"Alice, I'm trying to save you!" Jack explained.

"But no one else," she hissed. "You know I love you, but you're a coward. Just… just run away. It's what you're good at, after all." Alice turned around and ran back to where her sister was preparing to fight. She heard a loud groan and footsteps stomping away from her. She rolled her eyes. That idiot was actually going to run away and leave them all behind. He'd be back, though. Alice was nearly sure of it. Deep down, she knew he couldn't leave her behind. Deep down, he couldn't leave the _Black Pearl_ behind. He was scared, she didn't doubt that. Right now his mind was in the flight portion of his 'fight or flight' response. He'd come to his senses soon enough.

Alice took a breath and took her place next to her sister. Elizabeth and the rest of the crew that wasn't by the cannons were backed up to the center of the ship, harpoons out and ready. "Easy men," Will called out. Alice watched in numb horror as the large, slimy tentacles of the Kraken slowly crept up the sides of the ship. Its large suckers wriggled almost disgustingly in front of them, waiting to strike. No wonder Lydia woke up screaming some night; this creature was horrifying already and Alice hadn't seen more than a few tentacles.

"Will?" Elizabeth asked, her voice full of anxiety and fear. Alice felt her heart begin to race and her breathing grew shallower.

"Steady! Steady!" Will ordered. Alice took a slow breath and continued to creep backwards with the rest of the crew on deck.

"Will?" Elizabeth asked again, her tone more desperate than before.

"Hold," Will said. "Hold."

"Seriously, Will?" Alice snapped.

"Will!" Elizabeth shouted down at him. Will finally nodded and pointed at the Kraken.

"FIRE!" He screamed. The lower deck exploded with light as the cannons were fired. The shots echoed through the air and the Kraken let out a sickening screech as its appendages were hit with the force of fast, hot iron. The limbs either fell back into the sea or flopped onto the deck, destroying whatever happened to sit in its path. The Kraken's tentacles slide back into the water and the entire crew erupted into cheers. Will appeared from below the deck and ran up to both Elizabeth and Alice.

"It'll be back. We have to get off the ship," Will said.

"There's no boats," Elizabeth said. She pointed to the longboats and Alice's face fell. All of them were completely destroyed. She looked into the distance and saw Jack rowing off. She shook her head and looked down. Now there was truly no escape until Jack came to his senses and rowed back to the _Pearl._ A lone barrel of gunpowder rolled into sight and Alice saw Will's eyes light up, as if he was thinking of some kind of plan.

"Will, what are you thinking?" Alice asked.

"Pull the grates!" Will shouted. "Get all the gunpowder on the net in the cargo hold!" The entire crew shouted the orders to each other and ran below deck to do as Will ordered. He grabbed a rifle from one of the other sailors and held it out to Elizabeth. Alice looked between them and dropped her jaw, finally making the connection. They were going to blow up the Kraken's limbs. "Whatever you do, don't miss," Will told Elizabeth.

"As soon as you're clear," Elizabeth said. She looked over to Alice and nodded as she ran to get into position. Alice ran across the deck and grabbed the nearest barrel of gunpowder she could find.

"There's only half a dozen kegs of powder!" Gibbs shouted up.

"The load the rum!" Will ordered. Alice watched as the entire crew froze and said nothing. All of them seemed to be having a mental debate of which fate was worse: death or lack of rum. Alice loved rum as much as the next pirate, but this was ridiculous.

"Oi! Listen to Turner!" Alice shouted down. "Load the damn rum. Would you rather be dead or without rum for a little while?" All of the men groaned and began to roll the kegs of rum into the next. Alice walked across the deck, shouting orders at the men. They needed to get their weapons, they needed to load the cannons, they needed to ready the masts… they needed to do so many things to prepare for the return of this beast.

"Unbelievable," Elizabeth muttered. Alice turned around and saw that Elizabeth had finally spotted Jack in the distance. She turned to Alice with wide eyes and a dropped jaw. "That coward!"

"He tried to get me to go with him," Alice said. "Sixteen-year-old me might have."

"Why didn't you?" Elizabeth asked.

"Because I'm not letting the _Pearl_ go down without a fight," Alice replied, glaring at the shrinking image of her lover. "I'm not going to abandon my crew. He'll come back, though. I know he will. Sooner or later he's going to feel guilty about running and come crawling back." Elizabeth narrowed her eyes and turned back to look at Jack.

"How do you know?" Alice merely shrugged and turned around.

"Because it's happened before and it'll happen again," she answered. Suddenly a loud thud resounded across the _Pearl_. Everyone let out a shout and stumbled to the side, grabbing whatever happened to be near them to support them. Alice gripped the rail, struggling not to fall to the ground.

"Not good," Marty croaked out. Not even a second later, eight large tentacles sprung out of the water and dug clear into the sides of the ship. Every screamed and clung tighter to whatever they happened to be holding onto as the ship violently shook. Alice heard chilling screams as men were grabbed by the Kraken and dragged into the sea. The sight almost made her want to vomit.

"Haul away!" Will shouted.

"Heave!" Gibbs shouted.

"Heave!" Alice echoed.

"Heave like you're being paid for it!" Gibbs ordered. Alice rolled her eyes and glared at the men before her. She let go of the rail and stood up as tall as she could manage.

"Heave like your fucking lives depend on it!" Alice screamed. The men turned the spokes of the wheel, the ropes of the net rising slowly. Alice let out scared whimper when she realized it wasn't rising nearly fast enough. She looked back out at the water and saw that Jack was still not getting any closer to the _Pearl._ She felt a pang of heartache when it finally dawned on her that he could very well leave her behind and not come back. One tentacle darted in front of her and curled around a sailor. Gibbs grabbed the man by the arms, but it did nothing and the man was pulled away.

"Shoot me!" the sailor shouted. Gibbs took out and his pistol and, with a grimace, shot the poor soul. Alice looked back at the net full of rum and gunpowder.

"Clear?" Elizabeth asked. Will shook his head.

"Higher! Higher!" he commanded. Alice swung her sword at the tentacle that rushed past her. Its tentacles wrapped around the mast and slammed down, breaking the wheel used to heave the net. Everyone around it dived away as the tentacle came crashing down.

"It has to be high enough," Alice said. All around her, sailors were getting plucked away one by one, each one seemingly screaming louder than the next. It wasn't even a matter of killing the Kraken anymore. It was just about surviving long enough to make Will's plan work.

"Come on!" Will shouted. "Come and get me! I'm over here! Come on!" A tentacle flew out of the water and swatted the net. It wrapped around the tentacle, but then the unthinkable happened. Will's foot got caught in the net. Alice drew her sword and stood by her sister, ready to protect that rifle from the wrath of the beast. "Shoot!" Will shouted. He dangled from the net, trying to cut his foot free with a tiny dagger. "Elizabeth, shoot!" She closed one eye and prepared to fire, but then suddenly fell to the ground with a yelp. Alice gasped and ran after her sister. She heard a loud squeal as Ragetti chopped off the appendage with an axe. She was never so happy to see those two idiots. Elizabeth scrambled to her feet and ran after the rifle, but some idiot sailor grabbed it and tried to shoot at a tentacle. He was swept up by the Kraken a second later and the rifle flew from his hands. Alice and Elizabeth both scrambled up the stairs, desperately trying to reach that rifle so one of them could take the shot. When they reached it, a foot came down and stopped the rifle from moving.

"Move your damned foot, you-" Alice snapped, but then she looked up and saw who was standing there.

It was Jack.

She wanted to both strangle the man and kiss him into oblivion, though her feelings right now lingered more towards the former. Jack grabbed the rifle and aimed at the swinging net full of explosives. Alice got to her feet and clung to Jack, sword drawn and ready to cut down any tentacle that threatened his shot. Will fell from the net, finally free, and then Jack fired the shot. More tentacles wrapped around the mass of net and gunpowder and rum. The kegs flared into a fiery explosion. Pieces of flaming barrel fell down to the deck and the Kraken's limbs began to burn. Alice heard a loud, long bellow as the tentacles retreated into the ocean. A still silence hung in the air. Alice looked around the ship. Only she, Elizabeth, Jack, Will, Gibbs, Marty, Ragetti, Pintel, and Cotton and his parrot still remained. They left Tortuga with nearly eighty men and four women. Now they were down to two women, seven men, and a bird. That battle was no more than fifteen minutes, and only about ten percent of their crew remained.

"Did we kill it?" Marty asked softly.

"No," Gibbs answered solemnly. "We just made it angry. We're not out of this yet." Gibbs ran towards the helm and shouted, "Captain! Orders!"

"Jack," Alice said softly, looking at the man she loved. "We don't have a choice. We can't survive a second round of this." Jack looked down at her and nodded. He walked down to the main deck and handed off the rifle to Gibbs.

"Abandon ship," he said. "Into the longboat."

"Jack… the _Pearl,_ " Gibbs said, his voice cracking. Jack looked down and frowned.

"She's only a ship, mate," he murmured.

"He's right," Elizabeth said. "We have to head for land."

"It's a lot of open water," Pintel said.

"It's a _lot_ of water," Pintel said.

"We have to try," Will said. "We can get away after it takes down the Pearl." Gibbs nodded and looked at everyone around him.

"Abandon ship," he said. "Abandon ship or abandon hope." Jack took Alice by the hand and pulled her closer to him. Alice knew she should be so angry with him right now for abandoning him. She should want to slap him or punch him or shoot him in the leg. But right now, she felt more than content with him just holding her and stroking the back of her head.

"I'm sorry, love," Jack murmured into her hair. "I know you're mad at me."

"I am, but I can worry about slapping you senseless for when we're safe," Alice murmured back. She tensed her jaw and looked around at the _Black Pearl_ , taking in the sight of it as much as she could. She tried to commit every board, every beam, every mast, and every sail to memory. She let go of him and brought his face down to hers, kissing him as hard as she possibly could. She pulled away and took a step back. "I'll get what supplies I can to the longboat."

"Don't wait for me," he told her. "I'll be right behind you this time." Alice smiled and turned away. She grabbed a pack of food that Gibbs tossed to her and descended down the ladder into the longboat. She sat in there, helping her crew into the longboat.

"Prepare to cast off!" Gibbs shouted as he finally began to climb down. "There's no time to lose!" But Will didn't move. "Come on, Will. Step to!" Elizabeth followed down a second later. Alice looked up and narrowed her eyes and she didn't see Jack.

"Where's Jack?" she asked. Elizabeth turned to Alice, her face unusually stony.

"He elected to stay behind to give us a chance," she said. Alice let out a shaky breath and shook her head.

"No," she whispered. "No. He wouldn't. That idiot wouldn't."

"Go!" Elizabeth shouted to Marty.

"No!" Alice shouted. "Jack! JACK! Get your arse down here this instant! Jack!" She scrambled towards the ladder, but Elizabeth and Will held her back. "Get go of me! JACK!" Marty let go of the ropes and Pintel and Ragetti began to row. "NO! STOP!" Alice screamed. Tears were beginning to stream down her face as she struggled against her sister and her fiancé. "JACK!" Alice didn't care if she'd have to swim towards the _Pearl_ in open water with the Kraken lose. She was going to get Jack into this longboat. She was going to save him. He had to live through this. He had to survive. He had to… after everything they went through to save his life he had to live.

"Alice, please," Elizabeth said.

"JACK!" Alice screamed again, her voice cracking as she cried out once more. She didn't care if she screamed herself hoarse. She struggled against them, but then froze in horror as she watched the slimy, mottled grey tentacles of the Kraken slowly rise up out of the water and wrap themselves around the _Black Pearl._ She was practically hyperventilating as the tears flowed heavier from her brown eyes. A chill went down her spine as she saw the rest of the Kraken's body, its horrifying head rising up from the depths. The rest of her blood went cold and she began to shake almost violently when she heard a loud, haunting roar the Kraken emitted. "JACK! NO! JACK!" Alice screamed again. The _Black Pearl_ began to tip to the side as the Kraken pulled it down to the sea. All Alice could do while she watched Jack and the _Black Pearl_ sink into the sea was scream and sob. When the tip of the crow's nest disappeared below the water, she let out a long, heart wrenching wail and fell down to her elbows in the longboat. "No…" she whimpered. Hot tears were flowing uncontrollably and her eyes were beginning to sting. Her chest hurt from the dry heaving and she could hardly breathe. "Jack, no…" she cried. "No…"

She felt a hand rub her back. She didn't need to look to know it was Gibbs. He'd done that enough times to comfort her when she and Jack had a fight. "I'm sorry, lass," he whispered to her. Alice looked back up at the spot where the _Pearl_ sank… where Jack died. Dead. He was dead. He was really, actually dead. The thought made her sob even harder and she turned around, clinging to Gibbs.

She didn't even register the moment they reached land. All she could think about was the Kraken and the fact that Jack was gone forever now. Alice would never see his smiling face again. She would never see him at his best and worst moments. They'd never play cards together, they'd never share a whore together, they'd never steal each other's rum… She would never get to sit on his bed and watch him plot out courses in the dim candlelight. There were so many things they could never do together again and so many things they'd yet to do. She only had two years with him. A measly two years… Alice almost felt like she should have made more of it.

When she fell onto the sandy shore of whatever island they'd landed on, she felt the entire contents of her stomach empty itself. She looked up and saw that it wasn't the Isla Cruces. It was another island they'd passed along the way. She didn't hear what any of the crew was saying to each other. Alice just stared blankly at the vomit-soaked sand in front of her, sobbing like a madwoman. He was gone… he was really, truly gone… and Alice wasn't sure she could handle it. Not now, not ever.

* * *

Lydia watched in horror as the Kraken wrapped its tentacles around the _Black Pearl_ and finally dragged it down into the depths of the sea. "Jack Sparrow," Jones said as he lowered his spyglass. "Our debt is settled."

"The captain goes down with his ship," Palifico rasped.

"Turns out not even Jack Sparrow can best the devil," Maccus added. Jones froze and turned around as if he suddenly realized something.

"Open the chest," he ordered. No one in the crew seemed to move. Jones growled and crept closer to Maccus. "Open the chest. I need to see it!" Lydia craned her neck, trying to get a good look at the chest. Unfortunately, the horde of pirates was in the way of her vision. She heard the hiss of the chest being opened and the resounding click when Jones finally opened it. She heard a flurry of gasps, which only meant one thing.

The heart wasn't in the chest.

Lydia let out a smile as Jones shouted, "Damn you, Jack Sparrow!" She started laughing loudly and knew she'd finally gone off the deep end. Only an idiot would laugh at a man like Davy Jones when he was this angry. It wasn't as if she had much to lose at this point anyway. Her fate was sealed. She was just glad she got to see Jones thwarted before she got sent to the Locker. He heard loud, livid thumps as Jones stormed towards her. He grabbed her neck with his claw. She felt the sharp edges dig into her neck, but Lydia stilled smile.

"You knew about this!" Jones snarled.

"No," Lydia choked out. "I didn't. But I'm glad I got to see this moment; the moment when you got outsmarted by Captain Jack Sparrow one last time." Jones let out a yell and let go of her neck, storming away from her.

"Knock her out," he ordered. "I don't want to hear a single noise from the sea-bitch's mouth." Lydia felt a hard piece of wood whack her in the back of the head, and then her world went completely dark.


	50. Dead Man's Chest: Chapter 22

Alice sat alone in the corner of Tia Dalma's hut, feeling nothing but numbness as she watched the people gather around the hut, holding candles and holding a vigil for Jack. Her Jack. The man who'd sacrificed himself to save them all. It almost didn't feel like the death she would have pictured for Jack. Granted, she'd never let herself think about how Jack would die. She still didn't want to believe he was gone from this world forever. On the other end of the room, Will sat at one of the tables and kept throwing his knife into the wood. Each time he took it out of the grain, chips of the wood would splinter off and fall onto the floor. Everyone else sat in a solemn silence, not daring to speak a word. Each seemed to be lost in his (or her) own thoughts.

Tia Dalma stepped out from her kitchen, holding a tray full of mugs of rum. She held it out to Elizabeth and said, "Against de cold, and de sorrow."Elizabeth hesitantly grabbed a mug and held it close to her chest. Tia Dalma walked up to Alice and handed her another cup. Alice looked inside and frowned when all she saw was water. Every other cup was filled with rum… why not hers?

"Rum would not do de baby good," Tia Dalma said with a slight smile. Alice narrowed her eyes and shook her head.

"Baby?" Alice asked. "What… what baby? I'm not-" Tia Dalma nodded towards Alice's stomach and looked back up at the young woman.

"I know de body of a woman well," Tia Dalma said. "Have you been sick the past few weeks?" Alice froze and widened her eyes. The seasickness… what if it hadn't been seasickness at all? What if it had been morning sickness? Now that Alice was really thinking about it, she wasn't sure of when she last bled. It had to have been more than a month ago. Maybe that's why her stomach had been hurting while she was fighting on the Isla Cruces.

"I…" Alice whispered. She let out a shaky breath and gently rested a hand on her abdomen. She looked up and the entire remaining crew of the _Black Pearl_ was staring at her in shock. Elizabeth's face fell and she sipped her rum, trying not to look at Alice. "How far along do you think I am?"

"If you've been getting sick, I would say close to two months," Tia Dalma answered. She nodded towards the cup of water and said, "Drink. You need it."Alice nodded almost numbly and Tia Dalma handed off cups of rum to the rest of the crew. Alice stared almost blankly into her cup. Pregnant. She was pregnant. There was a human being inside of her right now, a tiny human that would grow slowly within her over the next seven or eight months.

And her child would never know its father.

The thought of it made Alice's eyes well up with fresh tears. She hadn't cried since they arrived onto Tortuga with that merchant vessel they'd managed to flag down. She wiped the salty tears away with her hand before taking a long drink of the water. Tia Dalma was right; she needed to stay hydrated right now more than anything for her sake and the sake of her child; her and Jack's child. Tia Dalma walked up to Will and bent down next to him, handing him a cup.

"It's a shame. I know you're thinking that with the Pearl, you could've captured the devil and set free your father's soul," Tia Dalma said.

"Doesn't matter now," Will said. "The _Pearl_ 's gone, along with its captain."

"Aye," Gibbs said. "And already the world seems a bit less bright. He fooled us all, right till the end, but I guess that honest streak finally won out."

"Then I wish he would've stay a liar," Alice hissed. "I wish he would have been his usual selfish self in those last moments." Everyone was silent as they all stared at Alice. She knew what they were thinking. She knew they were all feeling sorry for her; the newly pregnant woman who just lost the love of her life. She didn't want their pity right now. She wanted Jack back.

"To Jack Sparrow," Gibbs said, raising his cup.

"Never another like Captain Jack," Ragetti said.

"He was a gentleman of fortune, he was," Pintel agreed, raising his cup as well.

"He was a good man," Elizabeth said, lifting her own cup. Alice looked down and raised her cup of water. She would have much rather been toasting to Jack with a mug of rum. It would have been a much more suitable tribute to him… but she had his child to think about now. The last thing he could ever give her. Was she even ready to become a mother? Would she even do any semblance of a good job? The men around her all took a long drink of their rum.

Will turned around to face Alice and put a hand on her knee. "If there was anything that could be done to bring him back…" he said.

"Would you do it?" Tia Dalma suddenly asked. Alice looked up and stared at the swamp witch in shock. What was she getting at? "Hmm? What would any of you be willing to do? Hmm?"

"Anything and everything," Alice said, her voice cracking between her words.

"And de rest of you?" Tia Dalma asked. "Would you sail to de ends of the de Earth and beyond to fetch back witty Jack and him precious _Pearl_?"

"Aye," Gibbs said after a moment of silence.

"Aye," Pintel agreed, standing up and setting his rum down.

"Aye," Ragetti added. Cotton's parrot squawked as Cotton raised his cup.

"Aye!" it shrieked. Elizabeth nodded slowly and looked from Alice to Tia Dalma.

"Yes," she said. Alice felt herself smile as tears began to fall down her face. All of the people here were that willing to bring Jack back if they could. They were all willing to go that far for the idiot she loved. Will finally turned to Tia Dalma and nodded.

"Aye," Will said. Tia Dalma smiled and looked at every pirate in the room.

"All right," she said. "But if you go and brave de weird and haunted shores at world's end, then you will need a Captain who knows dose waters." Tia Dalma turned around and Alice heard the thumping of shoes coming down the steps. Alice narrowed her eyes to see who was coming down the stairs. She let out an alarmed gasp when she saw the scarred and weathered face of the man who was now standing before her. Her hands instinctively went to her sword and to her stomach.

The man standing before them was Captain Hector Barbossa.

He was alive.

"So tell me, what's become of my ship?" Barbossa asked. Jack the Monkey jumped up onto his shoulder as Barbossa took a bright green apple from his coat pocket and took a large bite out of it. The juice dribbled out of his mouth and down his beard as the man smirked at the shocked looks before him.

"How?" Alice demanded. "How are you alive?"

"Tia Dalma brought me back," Barbossa said as he took another bite of his apple. Alice tensed her jaw and gripped the hilt of her sword tighter.

"And why should we trust you?" Will asked. "You've tried to kill most of us in the past."

"And I obviously didn't succeed, right?" Barbossa asked. "We have a common goal. We all want to retrieve Jack for our own reasons. Am I correct in assuming he failed to pass on his piece of eight?" Alice widened her eyes and looked down. The thought had just now occurred to her. He was still wearing his piece of eight when he died. Jack was too headstrong to think that he'd die that day; otherwise he might have passed it along to her. "You all just said you were willing to go to world's end for him. Are you about to go back on that?" Alice tensed her jaw, looked at Hector Barbossa right in the eyes, and shook her head.

"Not a chance," Alice said. She looked around at the rest of the crew and said, "I hope you all follow my lead. This mission needs more than a resurrected Captain with no ship and a pregnant woman." Barbossa looked around the room, as if searching for someone. Alice felt her stern look fall away as she realized who he was looking for. He didn't know that she'd been taken by Davy Jones yet. He didn't know that she was possibly dead or worse.

"Where's Lydia?" he asked, his smirk slowly fading. Everyone looked away from him, not wanting to be the one to break the news to him. Alice took a long, deep breath and then looked up at Barbossa.

"She stayed behind, on the Isla Cruces," Alice said. "She got the rest of us away from Jones' men. He has her. I don't know…" She felt her throat tighten up at the thought. "I don't know if she's even alive or not." Barbossa closed his eyes and sighed. Alice could put herself in his shoes. He'd waited for so long to see Lydia again, only for her to be gone the moment he comes back to the land of the living. Alice bit her lower lip and continued. "There's something else. You wouldn't like it, at all." Barbossa opened his eyes and glared at Alice.

"And what could I possibly like less than the news that the woman I love could be dead?" he hissed. Elizabeth placed a hand on Alice's shoulder and shook her head, as if to tell her to not tell Barbossa about Lydia's change in marital status. But Alice knew she couldn't keep this information from Barbossa. He'd find out eventually. It would be better to deal with the repercussions now rather than later.

"She married someone," Alice said. "To secure freedom for me, Elizabeth, Will, Kitty, and Norrington. And he wasn't good to her… not by a long shot." Barbossa took another long, deep breath. She could practically feel the fury radiating off of him. "He-"

"I don't want to know," Barbossa growled. "I don't want to know what he did. I just want to know his name so that I know exactly who I'm going to kill." Alice looked around the room. No one dared to look at Barbossa. She could tell that most of them still didn't want to trust him. Only Alice, Pintel, and Ragetti seemed to have some semblance of compassion for the resurrected Captain.

"Beckett," Alice said. "Lord Cutler Beckett of the East India Trading Company. Who, ironically, more than likely possess the heart of Davy Jones now." Barbossa looked over to Tia Dalma, who had now taken a seat at one of the tables in the room. Everyone else in the room looked around almost awkwardly, unsure of what to say or do.

"I think it's best for us to retire for the night," Gibbs said. "Marty? Cotton? Do you agree?"

"Aye!" the parrot squawked. The three of them quickly left the room and made their way to their makeshift beds in the next room over that Tia Dalma had prepared for them. Elizabeth and Will looked around the room and ended up following Gibbs out of the room. Pintel and Ragetti were close behind. This left only Alice, Barbossa, and Tia Dalma in the main room. Barbossa let out a breath and looked over at Tia Dalma.

"Is there a way to know for certain what fate has befallen her?" Barbossa asked. Tia Dalma smirked and revealed her clasped hands. She was shaking something inside, already prepared to read what happened to Lydia. She opened her hands and let the crab claws fall onto the table. She looked down at them and let out a soft smile.

"I should have expected dis of Davy Jones," she said. "Lydia is alive, but she's been trapped in de Locker with Jack. It makes sense. Jones would want one less Nereid in de world and killing her would just ensure dat another one gets born."

"How does that logic work?" Alice asked. "Does she have to be dead to be in the Locker?"

"Not necessarily. It may be the Land of the Dead but not all of its denizens are actually dead. They just can't die," Barbossa explained. He frowned and turned to Tia Dalma. "What I don't understand is why the Nereid soul wouldn't flee from Lydia and find a new vessel. It would be completely aware of her fate."

"Their souls are bound till death," Tia Dalma said as she rose to her feet, collecting her pile of crab claws. "De Nereid don't have a choice. Where Lydia goes, she goes." She picked up a candle with her free hand and turned to Alice, "Get some sleep. De spare bedroom upstairs is yours, Alice." Alice nodded and said a quick good night to Tia Dalma as she disappeared into her bedroom. This left Alice and Barbossa alone together in a dimly lit room and a heavy load of awkwardness and tension.

"For the record, I'm sorry about trying to kill you three times," Barbossa finally said after many moments of uncomfortable silence.

"I'm sorry I helped kill you," Alice replied with a ghost of a laugh. Barbossa let out a light scoff and picked up one of the abandoned cups of rum.

"I'd offer, but in light of recent developments," he said, glancing down at Alice's stomach. She rolled her eyes and held up her cup of water. Barbossa took a long, long drink of the rum and let out a sigh when he dropped the cup. "You've no idea what it's like to go over a decade without tasting rum."

"I can scarcely imagine going without for the next seven months," Alice said. She sighed and shook her head. "How am I talking to you so easily? Like you said, you've tried to kill me three times." Barbossa took a drink from a different mug of and shrugged.

"After the Isla de Muerta, how was-" Barbossa paused for a moment and took another drink of rum. "How did Lydia adjust?"

"I'm the wrong person to ask," Alice admitted. "I left Port Royal about two weeks after that battle with Jack. But based on what I heard from Kitty and Elizabeth, she was really quiet for a long time. I mean, Lydia's always been quiet but it was a different kind of quiet. Then when I saw her again, it was post-Beckett marriage. She just seemed so much colder, like she didn't care what happened to her anymore." Barbossa tensed his jaw and nodded slowly. Alice could tell that he was trying to hold back every ounce of anger he was feeling. She couldn't blame him for that in the slightest. If she'd found out the woman you loved married another man who hurt her repeatedly, she'd be just as furious. "But as far as her Nereidness goes, she's so much stronger than she was two years ago. On the Isla Cruces, she literally held back five of Jones' men with this wall of water. If I hadn't been running for my life, I would have stopped to admire it."

"Is that why she got caught by Jones?" Barbossa asked. Alice nodded and took a drink of her water.

"She dropped the wall and used the last of her strength to push our longboat off shore," Alice said. "Looking back, I think she knew that she'd pushed herself too hard. I think she knew she wasn't going to be able to get to the longboat in time."

"I got the impression that she'd do anything for her sisters," Barbossa said. "I'm glad she finally found her strength, though. Even if it was in less than desirable conditions."

"Now we just need to get her and Jack out of Davy Jones' Locker," Alice said with a frown. She shook her head and felt a tear start to roll down her face. "I'm not even sure I should be going with you. I want to, but… but I have this child I have to think about now." She wiped the tear away and felt herself start to break down again. Barbossa was the last person she wanted to have this mental breakdown in front of, but she couldn't stop the tide of emotions that threatened to overwhelm her. "I can barely take care of myself; I don't know how I'm going to manage a baby and Jack's not even here for this and I know that, yes, he'd be surprised, but he'd be so happy and…" Alice felt the tears finally burst through and she buried her face into her arms, her head collapsing to table she was sitting at. "I don't want to do this alone. We might get them back and then I won't have to. I'd have Jack. But if we fail…" She felt Barbossa almost hesitantly touch her shoulder in a feeble and awkward attempt to comfort her.

"We'll succeed," Barbossa said. "We'll get Jack and Lydia out of the Locker. But don't think you'll have to go through this alone. You have your sister and what remains of the _Black Pearl_ 's crew. Not to mention if I didn't at least attempt to help you, Lydia would kill me." Alice let out a laugh at that and sat back up.

"She would," Alice agreed. Barbossa stood back up and took a drink from the last remaining cup of rum in the room.

"You need your rest," Barbossa told her. "I can imagine you haven't slept much lately and you need to think about your kid." Alice nodded and stood up. She let out a long sigh and then began to walk towards the stairs.

"I assume we leave in the morning?" she asked.

"Aye," Barbossa said. Alice nodded and took a few steps up the stairs. She paused and then turned around.

"Good night, Barbossa," she said. Barbossa picked up an empty cup and smirked.

"Good night, shrimp," he said. Alice furrowed her brow at the nickname, but merely shrugged it off. She turned back around and made her way towards the upstairs bedroom. With each step she took, she felt her eyelids slowly grow heavier and heavier. The exhaustion from the past week was finally catching up to her. By the time she made it into the bedroom, she had already felt herself begin to fall asleep. The last thing she registered was hitting the bed before succumbing to a deep, dreamless sleep.

* * *

Kitty tensed her jaw as Port Royal came into view. She crossed her arms as she watched the familiar docks slowly appear closer and closer to her. In the distance, she saw the English flag waving proudly atop Fort Charles… the fort where her monstrous brother-by-law now resided. She felt a hand on her shoulder and nearly jumped out of her skin. She looked to her left and saw James standing next to her, looking just as apprehensive as Kitty. He stared almost blankly at the bright, sunlit port city. "I haven't seen my son since he was a month old," James said. Kitty placed her hand on top of James' and gave a quick squeeze. "Do you think he even remembers me?"

"Honestly, part of me isn't even sure he'll remember _me_ ," Kitty admitted. Truth be told, Kitty's mind wasn't on seeing her son again. It on what she witnessed back on the Isla Cruces, as she watched the Kraken attack and sink the _Black Pearl_. She and James could do nothing but watch as the Kraken grabbed men with its tentacles and flung them into the water. The only thing that gave her some peace of mind was seeing the longboat sail away from the _Pearl_ before it sunk. Based on the wails she heard in the distance, she knew that Alice had to be on that longboat. If Kitty knew her sisters, they made it off the _Pearl_ as well. Jack Sparrow was most definitely dead, but Kitty didn't exactly feel torn over the loss. If anything, she felt worse about Alice losing the man she loved than she did about Jack succumbing to the Kraken.

"You're still thinking about it, aren't you?" James asked. Kitty nodded slowly and took in a deep breath. "I understand how you feel. It… that _thing_ … I don't think I'll ever be able to forget it."

"No wonder Lydia woke up screaming as much as she did…" Kitty said. "Seeing that every night would make even the most hardened man wake up in a sweat." The ship slowly sailed up to the docks. Already the crew of the East India Trading Company ship that had picked them up as they drifted on the sea with the makeshift raft they'd constructed from the broken mill wheel was preparing to go ashore. Ian Mercer, the man Kitty had recognized as Lord Beckett's left hand, was emerging from below deck and making his way towards the Norringtons. Even now, after spending so long with pirates, the man's rough, scarred face intimidated her. In his hand was the now-familiar folder containing the Letters of Marque. Kitty subconsciously looked down to the bag that James hadn't let out of his sight since they'd gotten onto this ship; the bag containing the still beating heart of Davy Jones. Even thinking about that thing gave Kitty chills down her spine.

"You two are coming straight to Fort Charles with me," Mercer said. He looked down at the bag in James' hand and added, "For obvious reasons. Lord Beckett will want that straight away."

"Understandable," James replied. The ship finally reached the docks and the sailors were preparing to tie it up. The sails had been furled back into place and the gangplank was being lowered as they spoke. Mercer led the Norringtons down the gangplank, not even bothering to look at anyone else on the docks. He had his task set clearly in his mind and it was all he seemed to care about. Kitty, on the other hand, couldn't stop herself from looking around these once familiar docks. It used to be filled with merchants and traders to the brim. It was still filled with merchants, but now all of them bore the symbol of the East India Trading Company. It almost made Kitty feel sick to her stomach.

Mercer rushed the two up to Fort Charles. East India Trading Company soldiers and marines covered the fort, some of them staring at James in shock as he passed them by. Kitty understood the stares; after all, James hadn't been seen in nearly a year was assumed dead by now. To see him back in Port Royal in this state of filth was unprecedented and probably more shocking to his former men than anyone. They were lead up towards an office Kitty knew well; James' former office, the office that Cutler Beckett had taken to residing in. "Wait here," Mercer said. He looked at the two guards that were guarding the office and gave them steely glances, as if to tell them that it was their heads if James and Kitty escaped.

Not that they would ever make the attempt. Beckett quite literally had their future in the palm of his hands. He controlled whether or not James regained his position and whether or not Kitty would see her son again. Though based on what she'd been told by Mercer on the ship, her son was residing with her now-freed father back in their mansion under the close eye of the East India Trading Company. Though she was glad Little James was safe with her father, she wasn't thrilled to hear that Beckett had taken to frequently visiting his nephew.

The door to the office was left open as Mercer stepped inside. "Any news of the chest?" she heard Beckett asked.

"No," Mercer said. "But our last ship picked up two people adrift at sea. They had this." Mercer held out the Letters of Marque and dropped them on the table in front of Beckett. He took the binder and swiftly unraveled the leather cord, revealing the contents inside. Mercer nodded his head once and the Norringtons were escorted in.

"I took the liberty of filling in my name," James said. "I assume you'll drop whatever charges you planned on giving my wife." Beckett looked at the two and smirked, motioning for them to come forward with two fingers. The wedding band on his left hand didn't go unnoticed by Kitty. It almost made her sick to think of Lydia warming his bed during the nights she resided in Port Royal.

"I will, of course, pardon my sister-in-law of her crimes in her attempt to find you. Call it a familial favor," Beckett said, glancing up at Kitty. "But if you intend to claim these, then you must have something to trade. Do you have the compass?"

"Better," James said. He took the bag containing the heart and dropped it onto Beckett's desk. Kitty could see the heart beating within the bag. Beckett leaned closer to it, his eyes widening in a mix of shock and elation. "The heart of Davy Jones." Beckett's lips twisted into a sick smile and he looked up at the two. He stood up and opened the bag, peering inside.

"Remarkable," he whispered.

"I take it I've won the commission of privateer," James said.

"Oh I think better," Beckett said. He walked around his desk and opened up a sword case. Inside was a sword that Kitty knew well. It was the sword he was gifted at his promotion ceremony to Commodore. It was sword from the day the Swann family became entangled in the webs of pirates and their legends. "Reinstatement to your former rank and status, all rights and privileges attended," he said as he walked over towards the window of his office. He then turned back to Norrington and smirk. "And I think a promotion is to be granted as well. Do you agree, Admiral Norrington?" Kitty watched as her husband took the sword from the case and picked it up. She could sense the familiarity of the blade wash over him as he studied it carefully. He nodded his head once and then tilted his sword, reading to pierce the heart.

"Give the order, sir," James said.

"No, no, no," Beckett said simply. "That would be terribly imprudent. Where's the profit in killing Jones when we could add another ship to our fleet?" Beckett opened up the glass doors to the balcony and Kitty gasped when she saw none other than the _Flying Dutchman_ crashed through the water into the harbor of Port Royal. She, along with James and Mercer slowly stepped onto the balcony as they watched the ship sail slowly into the harbor. "Whoever controls the heart of Davy Jones controls the sea."

"Not entirely," Kitty murmured. She almost clasped her hands over her mouth when the words escaped her lips. It had just occurred to her that Beckett had no way of knowing about the Nereids or Lydia's status. At the very least Kitty could keep Lydia's gifts hidden… but she'd just betrayed the other forty-nine Nereids that existed. Beckett turned to her and arched an eyebrow. He opened his mouth to speak when an older man appeared behind him.

"Excuse me, sir," he rasped. "The map is finished." Kitty watched as Beckett turned around and strolled back inside his office. She looked up at the large map of the world that had been painted on the wall. It was almost fitting how his painting of the world was completed when he'd just been assured dominance over all of its waters.

"Just the way I imagined it," Beckett said. He turned around to the Norringtons with a smirk and extended his arm to Kitty. "Come. I think I've done a satisfactory amount of work for the day. I'm sure you're more than anxious to visit your son. Luckily, I'm also eager to see my nephew." Kitty looked up at James and hesitantly took Beckett's arm. "Besides, dear sister, I think we have much to discuss."

"Of course," Kitty said. She would have much rather been alone with James when she reunited with her son, but she wasn't about to be picky with the circumstances. She just wanted to see her baby boy once more. It had been far too long and every bit of maternal instinct inside her was screaming to see Little James. The three of them strolled out of the office, Mercer following close behind them. When they reached the entrance of the fort, a carriage was already waiting and prepared to depart for the Governor's mansion. Kitty was the first to step inside the carriage. To her displeasure, Beckett opted to take the seat next to her. James and Mercer were sitting opposite of them. The carriage began to move, the rocking feeling unfamiliar to Kitty.

"Don't bother lying to me sister," Beckett said immediately. "You know something that I don't. Talk." Kitty looked down and sighed. She closed her eyes and steeled her resolve. There really was no point in lying to him. All of the cards were quite clearly in his hands. At least she knew she could keep Lydia's status a secret. Besides, she didn't know where the other forty-nine were. She couldn't exactly betray the location and names of women she didn't know. She looked back up with a solid plan in mind, meeting Beckett's eyes and began to speak.

"Have you heard of Nereids?"


	51. Interlude Two

Lydia gasped as she woke up. Her eyes darted around her, taking in everything she was seeing. There was nothing but clear blue skies and nothing but white sand as far as the eye could see. She could feel the head of the hardened sand radiating up from her. She looked around her, trying to see some sign of life or something in the distance. Far, far away she could see a tall black speck, but other than that, there was nothing.

"Finally awake then?"

Lydia let out a yelp and spun around on her knees. There, sitting cross-legged, almost calmly, behind her was an unknown woman. She looked to be maybe in her early to mid-thirties. Her skin was a deep olive color and her dark brown hair flowed to her elbows in almost perfect waves. She wore a dark violet dress reminiscent of something someone from Ancient Greece or Rome would wear with a multitude of long necklaces covered in shells and pearls. Her dark blue-green eyes seemed to be taunting Lydia as the scanned her up and down. "Wow," the woman commented in her unaccented, middle register voice. She practically exuded confidence. "You're a lot denser than I thought."

"Who… who are you?" Lydia asked as she turned herself around completely. "Where am I?"

"Where do you think you are?" the woman snorted. Lydia looked around and her face fell. She knew exactly where she was. There was only one place where she could possibly be right now.

"I'm in the Locker, aren't I?" The women let out sad smile and nodded.

"Yeah," she said. "We both are. That's mostly your fault though. You got thrown down here and I got dragged along."

"What's your name?" Lydia asked. The women let out a chuckle and shrugged.

"Names, names, names," she said. "When you've had as many as me, they get all jumbled up. I've been Auda, Priscilla, Solveig, Nefertari, Zenobia… not to mention a hundred other names I can never remember." Lydia felt her jaw grow slack at that answer. Who was this woman? "But to answer your first question, technically, I'm you," the woman replied. Lydia narrowed her eyes in confusion. The woman scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Come on, you didn't really think it was _you_ talking half the time on the _Flying Dutchman._ No way are you brave enough to taunt him. I admit, though, it was a bit stupid on my part." Lydia looked down thinking on her words. It was true; she didn't feel as if she was the one talking on that ship. Could it be…? "Ah ha, now you're getting it." The woman stood up and extended her arm.

"You're the Nereid," Lydia finally said. "The Nereid within."

"And she gets it!" the woman exclaimed with a laugh. Lydia hesitantly took the woman's hand and rose to her feet.

"But then, what should I call you?" Lydia asked. The woman paused for a moment as if to think. "What was your first name?"

"Thetis," the woman finally said. "I guess we go with that. Come on," she said. "Let's take a walk." Lydia furrowed her brow in confusion.

"To where?" Lydia asked. Thetis pointed to the large black speck in the distance. Lydia turned to her in shock. "Why?"

"It's the only thing we can see for miles," Thetis explained. "There has to be _something_ there. Besides, what else are we going to do for eternity? Sit here and do nothing? Bo-ring. Besides, I can get some things clarified to you while we walk." She began to make her way forward. Lydia paused for a moment, pondering this woman. Did Thetis actually exist? Or was Lydia just going crazy again? Thetis turned around and let out an annoyed groan. She put on hand on her hip and tapped her foot impatiently. "Are you coming? Or are you just going to stand there slack-jawed? Because I'm still bound to you and I can't leave your line of sight. So if you'd be kind enough to actually walk…" Lydia nodded and rushed up to meet Thetis. When she was next to the brown haired woman, the two began to walk.

"What do you mean by bound to me?" Lydia asked. Thetis let out a long sigh and then turned to Lydia as they walked towards the large black speck.

"So in order to get to that, I need to explain a few things about Nereids," Thetis said. "Long story short, we were created by Calypso thousands of years ago. You know the story of how Aphrodite was born out of sea foam when Zeus' blood hit the water?" Lydia nodded her head. She was well acquainted with the stories of Greek Antiquity. She'd poured herself over those books after her ordeal with Barbossa and the Isla de Muerta. "It's the same basic principle with me and my sisters. Calypso mixed her blood with water and fifty of us spawned. The only problem is that we had no bodies; we were just souls, awkwardly lingering on the sea. So in order to actually have a form and do something, we were granted human vessels by the Gods. Unfortunately, that also meant they decayed like humans and would eventually die."

"Was this what you looked like back then?" Lydia asked. Thetis smirked and nodded.

"When I was younger," Thetis said. "Can you blame Zeus and Poseidon for wanting this? I'm surprised I wasn't murdered in that first life. My mouth has always gotten me into some trouble. Well, then again, trouble _is_ usually drawn to me." Thetis looked down and let out a sly smile. "The Trojan War might have started at my wedding… " Lydia widened her eyes in shock. "Not to mention stupidly forgetting to dip my son's heel in the river Styx… You think I would have remembered such a small detail, but I guess I was just that much of an idiot." her eyes filled with a grim darkness for a moment before returning to their teasing light. "Anyway, that's millennia in the past. I was explaining Nereids to you. So our bodies decayed and died… but our souls remained. So when we all died we went to the nearest baby girl who was born on or near the water around our time of death. In essence, we took on a host, a vessel if you will. These girls had their own souls, though. We couldn't exactly push the vessel's soul from their bodies, so we shared it."

"Two souls to one body," Lydia echoed.

"Exactly," Thetis said. "When that next body died, we moved to another, and another, and another… you get the idea. Then eventually I ended up in you." Lydia immediately thought about the story of her birth. According to her father, they had been travelling from Paris to London when her mother went into labor a month early. Lydia had to be delivered on the ship because her mother was too far along in the labor to be moved to shore. She was literally born on the sea. That was why she'd been chosen by Thetis.

"I think I understand," Lydia said. Thetis smiled and nodded.

"But we've never been the dominant soul of a body since that first lifetime," she said. "We just aren't strong enough, especially when we're dormant during those first eighteen years. We don't even know why exactly it's eighteen years until we can wake up. It just is." She simply shrugged and kept on walking. "Then some lives we never wake up because our vessel never touches the sea in their entire lives. We just sit inside, sleeping away as our vessel wastes their potential. I was afraid that would happen to you, Lydia, but thankfully you got kidnapped by a bunch of cursed pirates." She let out a light chuckle and smiled. "It's funny how that worked out for both of us. I get woken up, you fall in love… Life is strange like that."

Lydia looked down and stopped walking for a moment. Hector… she couldn't die in the Locker. She'd never be reunited with him. She'd never get to move on into the afterlife. The _real_ afterlife. The _good_ afterlife. That chance of ever seeing him or any of her family members after they died was gone. Thetis turned around when she realized Lydia had stopped walking and let out a sad smile. "I am truly sorry about that," Thetis said. "But it does no good to dwell on the past. Trust me, I dwelled for a long time and all it did was make me feel worse about myself." She took Lydia's hand nodded her head towards the large object that was in the distance. Now that Lydia looked at it, it almost looked like the silhouette of a ship. "Anyway, our two souls share the same body, the same vessel. Because they've been so close together for so long, parts of each other sort of bleed into the other. That's why I'm not just Thetis; I'm every other incarnation of my vessels. As long as you're still alive, our souls are bound to each other. And since you're the dominant soul, where you go I have to follow."

"Which is why you said you're technically me," Lydia said. "Because part of me is in you."

"And vice versa," Thetis said. "Why do you think you got a bit braver when the markings first appeared? That was me waking and realizing, 'oh damn, this idiot's going to drown me.' I'm sorry I put the dolphin idea in your head, by the way. Experiencing your first creature possession death is always hard." Lydia looked down, remembering that damned dolphin. Since then, she'd never let herself stay inside a creature for too long and severed her connection as fast as she could. Suddenly Thetis let out a loud laugh and pointed ahead of her. "Looks like I was right. I thought it might be the _Black Pearl._ " Lydia furrowed her brow in confusion and looked up. She dropped jaw and let out a smile. There before her, sitting beached and tilted to one side, was the _Black Pearl._ The ship was just as destroyed as she would have expected it to be after being attacked by the Kraken, but it was no longer covered in pieces of debris and the bodies of the men the beast killed. No, this _Black Pearl_ was just full of holes.

"Oi! What are you doing down there?"

Lydia looked up and saw none other than Jack Sparrow standing on the ship. He was wearing the same hat that he wore when he escaped the gallows over two years ago. He looked completely healthy, completely clean, and completely as if he hadn't been devoured by a large sea monster. His clothing didn't possess a single tear and it didn't appear as if he had a single injury on his person aside from his preexisting scars.

"Jack?" Lydia asked. Jack appeared to glance down at Lydia, and then turned around behind him as if watching something.

"You all know Lydia," he shouted to something behind him. She turned to Thetis, who was staring at Jack with a furrowed brow. "Well I don't care what you think. I'm the captain and what I say goes." He turned back to Lydia and then tossed down a line. "Come on aboard then."

"And what about her?" Lydia asked, pointed to Thetis. Jack tilted his head and furrowed his brow.

"What about who? I only see you down there," Jack said. Lydia narrowed her eyes and turned to Thetis who was shaking her head.

"Can he not see you?" Lydia asked.

"Apparently not," Thetis answered. "Looks like the only person here I can talk to is you." Lydia shrugged and took the rope, climbing up it as fast as she possibly could. She felt Thetis follow behind her, based on the tugging she felt beneath her feet. When she finally neared the top of the rope, she felt Jack grab her arm and help her over the rail.

"So how'd you end up here?" Jack asked the moment she set foot on the ship. He dragged up a barrel and took a seat. He turned his head and snapped, "Hush you lot. Back to work!" Lydia narrowed her eyes and looked around the ship, seeing no one but Jack.

"I guess you're not the only one with a hallucination around here," Thetis said as she hopped off the rail and sat down on top of a cannon. "The only difference is that I actually exist. I don't know what in the hell Sparrow's seeing." Lydia turned back to Jack, only to see that he was staring at her funnily. Perhaps they were thinking the same thing about each other. After all, they both seemed to be talking to people that the other couldn't see.

"Jones wanted one less Nereid on Earth," Lydia said. "By sending me here, he never actually killed me."

"So you couldn't be reborn," Jack concluded. He smirked and said, "At least you weren't eaten by the Kraken. Terrible breath. Not to mention the teeth…"

"I'm surprised you didn't flee with the rest of the survivors," Lydia said.

"I would have if your sister hadn't manacled me to the mast," Jack replied with a bitter snort. Lydia widened her eyes and dropped her jaw. "Elizabeth. Not Alice." Lydia looked down and felt her breath catch in her throat. Elizabeth had actually killed Jack? "I doubt she'll tell anyone, though."

"Poor Alice," Lydia whispered.

"Yeah," Jack replied. "I'd be drinking myself into a stupor right now if there were any rum. I guess this truly is hell. No sea, no rum, and about fifty of me running around."

"Is that who you were talking to?" Lydia asked. Jack nodded and quickly turned around, glaring at something. Probably one of the copies of him that Lydia couldn't see. Thetis let out a snort and rolled her eyes.

"Oh yeah, this is going to be one _long_ eternity," Thetis said, crossing her arms. Lydia looked back to Jack, who had just jumped off the barrel and started running about the deck, screaming at nonexistent people. She frowned and turned back to Thetis. This definitely was going to be a very, _very_ long eternity if this was just the first day. Lydia only prayed that she wouldn't go as insane as Jack would inevitably become.

* * *

It was so secret to Hector Barbossa that the only people in his crew that trusted him even a little were Pintel, Ragetti, Alice, and Tia Dalma. And Tia Dalma didn't even trust _him_ ; she merely trusted him to honor their bargain. Alice, on the other hand, was the only person who actually trusted _him_. Yet here he was, sitting alone in a table in the back of the _Faithful Bride._ The rest of the crew was sitting in one of the tables closer to the center, all half-drunk and telling stories about Jack together. Alice was sitting quietly and solemnly, nursing a cup of water. It had been a month since that night in Tia Dalma's hut and Alice was beginning to show very slightly. Anyone who didn't know her would have suspected nothing, but to everyone else in the quest to World's End, it was definitely noticeable. Though she was still managing to wear the trousers that she preferred, they were beginning to get tighter as her stomach grew larger.

Alice looked distant, like she wasn't even paying attention to the drunken tales of her late lover. She seemed almost trapped in her own thoughts, staring blankly off into space. Barbossa hadn't known the girl long, but even he could tell that it wasn't typical behavior for her. He sighed and took a long, long drink of his rum. When he put his cup down, Alice was no longer at the table with the rest of the crew. Instead, she was making her way over to his lonesome, dark corner. "And here I thought I'd be spending the evening alone," Barbossa said as he took another swig of rum. Alice shrugged and took a sip of her water.

"It's no fun being the only sober person amongst a bunch of drunken idiots," Alice said with a slight smile.

"Aye," Barbossa said. "I understand the feeling. I liked getting drunk in my younger days. Not so much now. Hangovers get worse with age."

"I can imagine," Alice said. "Any update on where those charts you were talking about might be?" Barbossa shook his head and took another sip of rum. There were two reasons they'd spent so long in Tortuga. One) they currently didn't have the funds to get a ship, and, two) Barbossa had no idea where the maps to the Locker currently were. He knew they existed. He just wasn't sure of who possessed them. They'd figure it out eventually, though. Barbossa always had a way to get what he wanted. Nothing on this Earth or beyond would stop him from getting Lydia back from the Locker. The same could easily be said for Alice in regards to Jack. Perhaps that's why they'd been getting along so well over the past month. "I'm working on the rest of the crew. I think Gibbs is beginning to finally come around. And when he comes around, I have no doubt that Marty and Cotton will follow. Cotton's parrot on the other hand…"

"Do you really think I care if they trust me, shrimp?" Barbossa asked. He'd taken to calling Alice 'shrimp' as of late and he wasn't entirely sure why. The nickname just appeared and seemed to stick. As long as Alice didn't seem to mind it, he was content with continuing to use it. "They don't need to trust me. They just need to be willing to follow orders."

"Yeah, but if you truly didn't care about gaining their trust, why would you ask me to help bring them around?" Alice asked.

"That's more so I know they'll actually listen to me," Barbossa said. "Having their trust would just be an enjoyable side benefit." Alice let out a laugh and took another sip of her water. "Them telling stories about Sparrow bothered you, didn't it?" Alice shrugged and looked down.

"It's hard, listening to all these tales about Jack before I met him," Alice said. "It makes me doubt whether or not I actually knew him. You probably feel the same way when Elizabeth and I talk about Lydia." Barbossa frowned and took a long, long drink of rum. She hit the nail right on the head with that.

"Aye, but it my case it makes me want to know more about her," Barbossa admitted. "I know I never knew her as well as I would have liked. I only had about a month or so with her and nothing came of it. Your case is different. You had Jack for two years." Alice let out a faint smile and nodded.

"I was such a terrible little sister," Alice said. "Actually, I was just a nightmarish child. I played jokes on everyone." She let out a faint laugh before saying, "There was one day where I put a bunch of fish in Lydia's bed. I was probably eleven at the time. Father was furious with me. Lydia screamed when she found all those fish, but I don't think she was ever actually angry with me. She's the closest thing to a mother that I've ever had. Maybe that's why she's always been so selfless; she always needed to help care for me and my sisters."

"How much older is she than you?" Barbossa asked. It hadn't occurred to Barbossa until now that he had no idea how old Lydia even was.

"Six years," Alice said. Barbossa did the simple math in his head. Alice had mentioned she was nineteen once. Lydia was twenty-five, give or take a year depending on when Alice had been born. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Alice smiling almost gently. "We'll get them both back. I can feel it. The spawn's going to meet its father one day. And I'm going to get the chance to slap Jack for knocking me up in the first place." Barbossa let out a ghost of a laugh and nodded. For the rest of the night, the two told idle stories about anything from Barbossa's life as a cursed man to Alice's other antics when she was a child.

* * *

Kitty paced around the drawing room, her skirts brushing against the carpeted floor. In the corner, her father was playing with Little James while her husband leaned against the wall, locked deeply in thought. They'd received a message earlier that day that Lord Beckett would be coming over to see Little James. As much as Kitty hated it, she wasn't really in a position to deny him the right to see his nephew. It frustrated not only her, but Governor Swann (though the title of Governor was more of a courtesy now, since Lord Beckett had essentially taken over Port Royal) and James as well. "But what if he tries to use Little James as leverage against us one day?" Kitty asked.

"Beckett's fond of our son," James said. "He wouldn't hurt him. If anything, he'd try and sway Little James to his side. His wife is still 'missing.' If he never gets Lydia back, then he'll more than likely train him into taking his place one day. I honestly can't think of another reason why Beckett could possibly be this interested in spending 'quality time' with his nephew. He's not exactly the most family orientated person unless it suits him." Kitty bit her lower lip and started to pace around the floor even faster. As if any of _that_ made her worry any less about Beckett being around her son.

"Kitty, you mustn't fret so," Governor Swann said. "It's not good for you."

"I hardly care about me right now, father," Kitty snapped. "It's not even me you should be worried about?" She paused for a moment and narrowed her eyes at James. "Why are you so calm about this?"

"Because I know he won't get hurt," James replied. He walked over to Kitty and took her hands. "Katherine, you need to calm down. It's scaring Little James." Kitty turned her head and looked down at her son. Sure enough, the one-year-old was frowning and clinging to her father's leg. She sighed and shook her head.

"I know, I just…" she let out a long sigh and sat down on the nearest armchair. "I almost lost you once, James. In the coming months I could lose you again, and not only you. I could lose you, father. I could lose Little James. I don't think I could take it if I lost any of you, especially to Beckett." She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see her father now standing next to her. Little James was crawling towards his set of wooden blocks, babbling to himself as he grabbed the blocks and repeatedly banged them on the floor.

"Kitty, everything will work out in the end," he said. "Perhaps not in the way we expect, but they will work out. Have faith in your sisters. I have no doubt that they're working to stop Beckett and retrieve the Heart." Kitty took a long, slow breath and nodded slowly. He was right; if she knew her sisters, they were going to stop whatever plan Beckett had in store. Lydia would never let anyone endanger the freedom of the sea and Alice would do everything in her power to protect her pirate brethren. With Lydia's gifts, Alice's ingenuity, and Elizabeth's persistence, they were sure to succeed in stopping Beckett. Their conversation paused at precisely the right time. Their butler entered the room, announcing the arrival of Lord Beckett. The arrogant toe-rag strolled into the room, looking just as cocky as ever. He stepped up to Kitty and took her hand, lightly kissing the back of it. The action made her feel sick to her stomach every time. How did Lydia even stand sharing a bed with this man?

"Sister," he said. "Lovely to see you, as always."

"Likewise," Kitty said, feigning a smile. As much as she would have loved to strangle the man, she had no choice but to pretend as if he were a close confidant. Beckett smiled an equally false smile at her and then turned to Little James, who was still attempting to stack up the wooden blocks.

"And there's my favorite nephew," he said as he turned to face Little James. The child's face immediately lit up into a large smile. Kitty had to hide the sense of disgust she felt within at her child's obvious love of his uncle. He was so blissfully ignorant of the atrocities that man had committed. She only prayed that she could protect him from whatever dark plans Beckett had in mind for her son.


	52. At World's End: Chapter 1

Kitty sat in the seat opposite of her brother-in-law, not daring to touch the now cold tea in front of her. The sun hung high in the sky, showing how beautiful of a day it should be. But Kitty wasn't paying attention to the sun. Kitty could only hear the rattle of chains around the ankles of the prisoners that were sentenced to be executed today. "In order to put forth a more timely halt to the deteriorating conditions and to ensure the common good, a state of emergency has been issued for these territories by the decree of Lord Cutler Beckett; duly appointed representative of his majesty the King." She watched as men and women were all lead to the nooses; not even gender mattered to Beckett anymore. Their only crimes were having assosiations with pirates; even vague ones that might not have existed. "By decree, according to martial law, the following statutes are temporarily amended: Right to assembly- suspended; right to habeas corpus- suspended; right to legal counsel- suspended; and right to a verdict by a jury of peers- suspended." Kitty couldn't tear her eyes away from the large pile of shoes in the courtyard, nor could she ignore the stench of dead bodies and the convicted persons emptied bowels. "Any person convicted of piracy, or associating with a person convicted of piracy, or aiding a person convicted of piracy, shall be sentenced to hang by the neck until dead."

Beckett looked so calm and collected, seemingly not caring about the line of people behind him being led to a row of nooses. She didn't know that mass hangings would be occurring when he invited her to the fort for tea, but she did know his reasoning for doing so. He wanted to scare her. He wanted to show her exactly what could happen to her, her husband, and her father should they not comply with his wishes. He didn't need to be worried about Admiral James Norrington or the former Governor Weatherby Swann, though. That's why they weren't here. Beckett was smart enough to know that he only person he should be concerned about interfering with his plot was Kitty.

She gasped when she saw a young boy forced up to the scaffold. This boy couldn't have been older than ten years old. She turned to Beckett in shock, her eyes full disbelief and fear. "Cutler, that's a _child_ up there. A _child._ Surely you wouldn't-"

"No one is exempt from the law," Beckett said as he put down his tea. "Not even the children of pirates. They're already infected; bound to become just like their fathers." Kitty turned her head away, fighting back tears. "Let your tears flow, dear sister. It won't change my mind. I wouldn't expect someone with a heart as soft as yours to understand the necessity of this." Suddenly she heard a sound that made her furrow her brow in confusions. They were singing, All of the prisoners were singing.

" _Heave ho, thieves and beggars, never shall we die_ ," the prisoners sang. _"Yo ho, haul together, hoist the colours high…_ " They were stomping their feet, rattling the chains to the song.

"Lord Beckett!" Lieutenant Groves shouted. He ran up to where Beckett and Kitty were having their tea and looked between the two of them. Kitty could see the hurt in his eyes when he looked at her. He knew exactly why she'd been brought here on this day at this time. "They've started to sing, sir."

"Finally," Beckett said. Kitty heard the swing of the lever and turned her head quickly. She didn't want to see a boy die; not when Little James could so easily fill his place. Her bottom lip quivered as she held back all the tears she wanted to shed for all of these innocents doomed to die. "I see my point's been made clear."

"It's been clear from the moment I came back to Port Royal," Kitty hissed. "I can't bear this any longer. Please just let me go home to my son. Please just allow me that luxury that none of these men and women can ever have again." She heard Beckett rise to his feet and walk the short distance to her. His hand touched her shoulder, sending a deep chill down her spine.

"I can see I've caused more than enough agony," Beckett said. "You understand my need to ensure you won't interfere. Perhaps I did take my message too far. After all, a woman in your condition shouldn't be in this much distress." Kitty tensed her jaw and looked down at her stomach. Her hand rested gently on the small bump. She remember how sick she felt when Beckett displayed too much pleasure at the news of her pregnancy. Luckily she covered it up with the excuse of morning sickness. Her and James didn't plan on this child; the last thing they wanted to do was bring a baby into a world run by Beckett. However, they weren't about to give this child up. Kitty refused to lose her son's younger sibling. She fully intended on delivering a healthy baby seven months from now. "Lieutenant, would you escort Mrs. Norrington back to her home?"

"Yes, sir," he replied. Groves helped her to her feet. She could hardly stand because of how much she was shaking. She forced herself to walk all the way to the carriage. Once Groves helped her inside and ordered the driver on his way, Kitty broke into hysterical sobs, unable to get the image of the boy swinging from the noose out of her mind.

"Alice, Lydia, Elizabeth," she breathed out. "Please work faster. Please save us before it's too late…"

* * *

" _Some have died and some are alive, others sail on the sea. With the keys to the cage and the devil to pay, we lay to Fiddler's Green…_ " Alice looked down at her large stomach while Elizabeth sang the song the both of them knew far too well. Six months. She was six months pregnant now and was definitely showing it. She could no longer wear the trousers she favored. A month back she'd finally had to buy a dress. Well, a dark blue skirt, a pale blue vest, and a loose white shirt. Even wearing a skirt was bad enough to Alice. Alice sat in silence as her sister rowed down the darkened canal. Both women kept their faces hidden with the large rice hats they'd purchased a week ago.

For nearly a month they'd been in Singapore, formulating a plan to get the maps they needed from Sao Feng and somehow get the Pirate Lord to give them the ship and crew they needed to get to World's End. " _The bell has been raised from its watery grave. Hear its sepulchral tone. A call to all, pay heed to the squall and turn your sails toward home._ " Alice kept her face low as East India Trading Company soldiers walked across the narrow bridge above them. She heard two pops and watched as some fireworks sizzled to life. At las they'd reached their destination. Elizabeth continued singing the song as she steered the boat towards the edge of the canal. Alice was the first to step off the boat. Elizabeth tied up the boat and rose to her feet. " _Yo ho, haul together, hoist the colours high. Heave ho-_ "

"Thief and beggar! Never say we die," a Chinese man suddenly hissed. Alice turned around, her hand instinctively moving to her stomach. She'd noticed how much more often the motion was occurring to her. It was actually Barbossa who'd pointed it out. It still surprised her how close the two of them had gotten. It surprised Elizabeth and the crew even more. But at this point, they'd been working together for about five months and everyone seemed to trust Alice's judgement on the matter of Barbossa. It was very hesitant, but Alice could safely say that the crew was willing to trust him and follow his orders. The Chinese man looked from Elizabeth to Alice and then back to Elizabeth. "A dangerous song to be singing for anyone ignorant of its meaning. Particularly two women. Particularly two women alone. Particularly one who's with child." Two more Chinese men appeared from the shadows, weapons drawn.

"What makes you think they're alone?" Alice smirked and turned around. Captain Hector Barbossa stepped down the stone steps that lead to the canal.

"You protect her?" the man asked. Elizabeth took out her knife and held it to the ringleader's throat. The other two men took out their guns and aimed them at Elizabeth. Alice responded by taking out her two pistols and pointing them at both the men.

"What makes you think we need protecting?" Elizabeth hissed.

"Your master's expecting us," Barbossa said calmly. "And an unexpected death or two would cast a slight pall on our meeting."Suddenly they heard shouts nearby. All of the pirates ran up to the wall and tried to make themselves hidden. Alice could barely see the East India Trading Company soldiers run past. Sao Feng's men may not be their allies, but at least they all had one common enemy. The same could be said of every pirate now-a-days. As soon as the soldiers had passed, the Chinese man motioned for Barbossa and the Swanns to follow him. They did exactly that. Barbossa took the rear, making sure they hadn't been spotted, then followed the sisters below the streets. They walked for a few minutes before arriving to a street market. Alice could hear the vendors trying to advertise their wares in Chinese and the bleating of goats and other animals.

"Have you heard anything from Will?" Elizabeth asked.

"I trust young Turner to acquire the charts and you to remember your place in the presence of Captain Sao Feng," Barbossa said.

"Is he that terrifying?" Elizabeth asked.

"Depends on his mood," Alice answered.

"Aye," Barbossa said. "He's much like myself, but absent my merciful nature and sense of fair play."

"And you're probably nowhere near as adventurous in the bedroom," Alice added with a smirk. Yes… she had very good experiences the last time she was in Singapore. Barbossa arched his eyebrow and let out a somewhat disgusted snort.

"Is there anyone you _haven't_ slept with, Shrimp?" Barbossa asked.

"At this point, I highly doubt it," Alice replied. "Go to any port the _Pearl_ docked in within the past three years and you'd easily find someone either Jack or I slept with." The Chinese man knocked on the circular door and said a single word in Chinese. The door then swung open and the three of them were led inside. Alice's hand was still resting on her stomach was the first to enter, followed by Elizabeth and Alice. The doors shut behind them with a resounding slam. Alice took a slow, steady breath. They were in the lion's den now. There was no turning back. Either they'd get the charts and ship they needed from Sao Feng or they'd be killed for the attempt.

Barbossa was immediately stopped by the Chinese man once inside and simply told, "Remove." The Pirate Captain raised both of his hands as if signalling his compliance, then began to remove every bit of weaponry he had on hand. Alice took both of her pistols out of their holsters and passed them to the Chinese man. She also unsheathed both of her daggers and set them on the table, as well as the sword on her hip. She only had five weapons on her as of now. Her stomach was beginning to make it harder to move fast; Alice wasn't about to slow herself down with more weaponry than she needed. Elizabeth took a step forward when both Alice and Barbossa were disarmed, but was stopped by the Chinese man. "Do you think because she is a woman we would not suspect her of treachery?" he asked.

"Well, when you put it that way…" Barbossa said. He looked at both Alice and Elizabeth with slightly worried eyes. Alice simply nodded and looked at her sister.

"Remove… please," the Chinese man ordered. Elizabeth sighed, took off her rice hat, then shed her coat, revealing a harness full of grenades. She removed her two guns and then the harness, throwing them onto the table with pursed lips. Elizabeth then took out a bomb from seemingly nowhere and set it next to the guns. She then bent backwards at an almost uncomfortable angle and pulled out an extremely large and heavy gun that Alice didn't even know her sister possessed. She dropped her jaw, exchanged glances with Barbossa, and then both looked behind Elizabeth, trying to figure out where exactly she put that gun. Elizabeth looked around the room and gave an innocent shrug. She went to go forward again, but was greeted by a hand stopping her. "Remove. Please." Elizabeth furrowed her brow in confusion and then looked down at her pants. Elizabeth dropped her jaw in disgust and the Chinese man simply smirked. One other guard took a robe from behind his back and tossed it to Elizabeth. She growled under her breath and then put on the robe. The Chinese man looked over at Alice while Elizabeth was unlacing her trousers. "Remove." Alice dropped her jaw and let out a scoff.

"The spawn exists, I can assure you," Alice snapped.

"Remove," was his only response. She rolled her eyes, unlaced the bottom of her vest, and then lifted up her shirt to reveal her large swollen stomach. The Chinese man's eyes immediately grew large. Almost immediately, she felt the baby shift in her stomach, as if it knew it was vulnerable and no longer protected by Alice's clothing.

"I'm completely disarmed and if you need further proof of my pregnancy, I can feel it moving around a bit," Alice snapped. The Chinese man quickly shook his head and Alice began to lace up her vest again. The baby moved back into it's favored position, feeling the warmth of clothes around it once more. Elizabeth tossed her trousers onto the table with a loud thump, her jaw tensed and her eyes narrowed into a sharp glare. A larger man appeared at the gate and nodded with his head, as if silently telling the three to follow him. Barbossa took the lead this time as they were led through the large bathhouse. Alice had decided to walk behind Elizabeth. Elizabeth was looking around with slightly fear in her eyes as she kept pulling the short robe down as low as she could.

They were lead further into the steam that felt as if it was nearly suffocating Alice. The party stopped and watch as two twin women stepped away from the Pirate Lord they'd just dressed. Sao Feng turned around, the large scars on his face clearly visible to all. Both Alice and Barbossa bowed before the Pirate Lord of the South China Sea. Elizabeth clearly didn't catch on until Barbossa motioned for her to show him the respect he demanded. Elizabeth then dipped into a modest curtsey, still pulling down the pathetic robe as she did so. "Captain Barbossa," Sao Feng said. "Welcome to Singapore." Barbossa nodded his head curtly and Sao Feng's head turned to Alice. "Alice Swann," he said. He looked down at stomach and let out a small smile. "Congratulations."

"Thank you, Sao Feng," Alice responded, bowing her head as well.

"I assume you know who the father is?" Sao Feng asked. Alice tensed her jaw, willing herself to not react to the honey-coated slight.

"Of course," Alice replied. "Why wouldn't I?" Sao Feng merely raised his eyebrows and then took a deep inhale of a red rag in his hand. He looked at his attendants with a stern face.

"More steam," he said. The attendant nodded and pulled on a rock tied to a rope. More steam immediately filled the room, almost making Alice feel suffocated. The way the baby was beginning to turn made it obvious that it wasn't happy with the increased humidity. He stepped down from the dais and strolled towards Barbossa. "I understand you have a request to make of me." Alice looked from Elizabeth to Barbossa. Now was the moment of truth. Now was when they would know if they could accomplish their mission in Singapore.


	53. At World's End: Chapter 2

"It's more a proposal, to put thee," Barbossa said. Though his tone sounded more relaxed and lackadaisical, Hector Barbossa was most certainly not letting his guard down. He felt hyperaware of every guard in this room and every movement from Sao Feng's handmaids. He was acutely aware of the two women who stood behind him, one of which was carrying an unborn child. No… his mind was working constantly as he proceeded with this riskier endeavor. "I have a venture underway and happen to find myself in need of ship and a crew."

"Hmm," Sao Feng said as he took a step back, scratching his bald head with his long, blackened nails. "It's an odd coincidence."

"Because you happen to have a ship and a crew you don't need?" Elizabeth asked. Both Barbossa and Alice looked over at her incredulously. Barbossa knew he was doing a fairly good job of hiding his disdain for Elizabeth Swann. Alice, on the other hand, couldn't have been more obvious about her feelings. Clearly Elizabeth wasn't paying attention when he'd said that he would handle all of the talking.

"No," Sao Feng said. He turned around and started to walk towards a little man wearing spectacles. "Because, earlier this day, not far from here, a thief broke into my most revered uncle's temple and tried to make off with these." He pulled out a rolled bamboo tube and Barbossa immediately recognized them. In his hands were the charts that they needed. Those were the charts that Will Turner was supposed to retrieve. The three pirates all exchanged wide eyed, worried glances. Barbossa tensed his jaw as he fought to keep his face void of any indication that he had plotted against Sao Feng. If there was going to be any chance at getting Lydia back to this world, this plan _had_ to succeed. There was no other option. "The navigational charts. The route to the farthest gate." He tossed the charts to the man that had previously stripped them of all their weaponry. "Wouldn't it be amazing if this venture of yours took you to the world beyond this one?"

Barbossa merely shrugged and said, "It would strain credulity, at that." Sao Feng smirked and took a step back from Barbossa and the Swann sisters. He then turned his head slightly to the right and let out a single nod. Suddenly, two of Sao Feng's guards pulled up a man from the tub of hot water that they'd been keeping down there since Barbossa had entered the room. He tensed his jaw when he saw that the man they'd nearly downed was none other than Will Turner. Barbossa fought back the long groan that threatened to sound itself. Of course that idiot boy had been caught. Turner never was the sharpest sword in the armory.

"This is the thief. Is his face familiar to you?" Sao Feng asked. Barbossa, Alice, and Elizabeth all shook their heads. Sao Feng took out his fid and shrugged. "Then I guess he has no further need for it." He moved to stab Will and Elizabeth get out a scream. Sao Feng turned around, revealing that he didn't at all intend to kill Will yet, smirked and sheathed his fid. Barbossa took a long slow breath, knowing that they'd been caught. Now all he had to do was find some way to talk out of this. One thing was for certain; Barbossa was getting those charts, he was getting that ship, and he was getting that crew. He wasn't going to leave Singapore empty handed.

"So, you come into my city, and betray my hospitality…" Sao Feng said.

"Sao Feng, I assure you," Barbossa said. "I had no idea-"

"That he would get caught!?" Sao Feng suddenly shouted into Barbossa's face. "You intend to attempt a voyage to Davy Jones' locker." Elizabeth took a step towards Sao Feng, but Barbossa held out his hand, pushing her back. If that idiot girl did anything at all to ruin the plan that he was already formulating inside his mind… "But I cannot help but wonder, why?" Alice took out a piece of eight and tossed it to Sao Feng. The Pirate Lord caught it and held it up to his head.

"You hear it, don't you?" Alice asked. Sao Feng looked over at Alice and narrowed his eyes. Barbossa resisted smirking. These days, he and Alice were more on the same page than anyone else in the remaining crew of the _Black Pearl._

"The song has been sung," Barbossa said. "The time is upon us. We must convene the Brethren Court. As one of the nine Pirate Lords you must honor the call." Sao Feng took a slow breath and looked down.

"More steam," he murmured. But no steam came immediately. Barbossa looked around and immediately felt a sense of dread. The crew must have made it to the steam room… which meant they were near, but that also meant there were a bunch of idiot men that no idea how to make more steam in there, which could give the next part of their plan away. "More steam!" The handmaid pulled on the lever again. This time, more steam emerged and Barbossa let out the tiniest sigh of relief. "There's a price on all our heads, it is true. Since it seems that the only way a pirate can turn a profit anymore is by betraying other pirates..."

"It be time to put our differences aside," Barbossa said. He was intending on killing two birds with one stone now. He was simultaneously talking his way into Sao Feng's good graces while also stalling for his crew. "The first Brethren Court gave us rule of the seas. Now that rule is being challenged by Lord Cutler Beckett."

"Against the East India Trading Company, what value is the Brethren Court?" Sao Feng asked. "What can any of us do?"

"You can fight!" Elizabeth snapped. One of Sao Feng's guards went to grab her, but she merely turned around and snipped, "Get off me!" Barbossa narrowed his eyes at Elizabeth and turned to look at Alice, who was rolling her eyes. "You are Sao Feng, the Pirate Lord of Singapore!"

"South China Sea," Alice corrected. "He's the Pirate Lord of the South China Sea." Elizabeth's eyes darted briefly to Alice before returning to Sao Feng.

"You command in an age of piracy where bold captains sail free waters. Where waves aren't measured in feet, but as increments of fear and those who pass the test become legend. Would you have that era come to an end on your watch?" Elizabeth demanded. "The most notorious pirates from around the world are uniting against our enemy, and yet you sit here, cowering in your bath water!" Barbossa watched Sao Feng's reactions very, very carefully. Part of him seemed amused by Elizabeth. Part of him looked just about ready to kill her.

"Elizabeth Swann," Sao Feng said as he walked towards her and began to circle her. "There is more to you than meets the eye, isn't there? And the eye does not go wanting. But I cannot help but notice…" He turned to Barbossa and pointed at him. " _You_ have failed to answer my question. What is it you seek in Davy Jones' Locker?"

"Jack Sparrow," Will blurt out. Barbossa could have killed that boy right in that moment for giving that away. He just made their chances of actually getting those charts even slimmer. The twin handmaids both hid their mouths behind their hands and giggled. Obviously Jack had a history with those two. "He's one of the Pirate Lords." Barbossa closed his eyes as Sao Feng walked away, his face lined with fury. Barbossa himself was furious with Will and Elizabeth. If Will had just done his job, they wouldn't be in this situation.

"My sister is there as well," Alice said. "If that makes any difference at all to you." Barbossa looked over at Alice and saw her shake her head once at Barbossa. He immediately understood what she was trying to communicate. Sao Feng didn't know Lydia was a Nereid and both Alice and Barbossa intended to keep it that way.

"The only reason I would want Jack Sparrow returned from the Land of the Dead is so I can send him back myself!" Sao Feng screamed as he kicked over a stack of crates. Barbossa took a deep breath and practically marched up to him.

"Jack Sparrow holds one of the nine pieces of eight," Barbossa said. "He failed to pass it along to a successor before he died. So we must go and get him back."Sao Feng looked over at Alice.

"He did not leave it to you?" he asked. Alice shook her head and let out a sad smile.

"He didn't think he'd die," she said. Sao Feng's face then twisted into a harsh, harsh glare.

"So, you admit, you have deceived me," Sao Feng said. Oh damn, this wasn't good. "Weapons!" Sao Feng and the rest of his men drew their swords, letting out loud yells.

"Sao Feng, I assure you, our intentions are strictly honorable," Barbossa said. The next instant six swords shot through the gaps in the wooden floor. Barbossa and Elizabeth each caught two easily. Alice, on the other hand, caught one and dropped the other. She squatted down to the floor slowly, and somewhat awkwardly, and picked up the sword. She merely looked around at the room and shrugged.

"What? I'm pregnant," Alice muttered. Barbossa let out light laugh at this. Typical Alice… Suddenly, Sao Feng grabbed a man and held his sword to his neck.

"Drop your weapons or I kill the man!" Barbossa furrowed his brow in confusion. What did the man in question have anything to do with anything?

"Kill him," Barbossa said. "He's not our man."

"If he's not with you, and he's not with us...who's he with?" Will asked. Alice's face fell and she looked at Barbossa right in the eyes.

"Shit," she said. The next moment, a flood of soldiers from the East India Trading Company burst into the room, musket primed and ready to fire. Of course, _of course,_ they'd been found by Beckett's men already. Immediately, Barbossa ran up to Alice with both his swords in hand. He didn't give a damn about the charts right now. He needed to get everyone out of there alive. Will and Elizabeth could handle themselves. Alice, on the other hand… All four of them, along with Sao Feng, were nearly able to flee from the bathhouse when a line of soldiers aimed their guns at them. Then a bomb went off from under the soldiers. Finally, something that his crew could do right. As they ran out of the bathhouse, he grabbed Alice by the arm and led her along behind him. "Behind!" she shouted. Barbossa turned around and thrust his sword forward as Alice ducked, stabbing the soldier behind him.

"Never a boring day, eh shrimp?" he asked as the two of them ran.

"Never," Alice replied with a smile. Another soldier ran towards them and Alice slid her sword clean into his chest. "Six months pregnant and still fighting. How many women can say that?" Barbossa let out a scoff as another soldier ran towards him. He ducked down and flipped him over his shoulder, sending him flying into the canal. He had no idea how, but the two of them ended up on one of the many bridges, each dueling a soldier while back to back. As they fought back to back, a bright rid firework went shooting over their heads. They paused for a moment and watched as it flew into a storage house for fireworks, setting half the port ablaze. This battle was almost effectively over. He looked over to the source of the flying firework and saw none other than his monkey, Jack, and Cotton's parrot.

"Thank you, Jack!" Barbossa shouted.

"Your monkey is the best creature on this earth and nothing will ever convince me of otherwise," Alice said as she killed the soldier in the groin and stabbed him in the throat. Elizabeth and the rest of the crew walked up to where Barbossa and Alice were standing. Will appeared a moment later with a large flock of Chinese men following him while carrying the charts. Barbossa narrowed his eyes and looked up at the boy. Turned out that Turner _could_ do something right.

"You got the charts?" Barbossa asked.

"And better yet, a ship and a crew," Will said, nodding to the men behind him.

"Where's Sao Feng?" Elizabeth asked almost breathlessly. Barbossa almost forgot how unused to this lifestyle she was. Alice had extra weight on her and she wasn't even out of breath.

"He'll cover our escape and meet us at Shipwreck Cove," Will said tensely. Barbossa looked between the two and resisted the urge to roll his eyes. It hadn't gone unnoticed by him and Alice that there was some tension between Will and Elizabeth. Both of them knew better than to ask about it because a) neither of them particularly cared about whatever it was they were fighting about, and b) it had yet to interfere with their mission at hand and therefore did not concern Barbossa.

The leader of Barbossa's new crew nodded to his right and said, "This way. Be quick!" Barbossa wasn't about to argue. He'd gotten everything he needed from Singapore. They were right on track with their endeavor. Soon they'd get to the Land of the Dead and free Jack. More importantly, they'd free Lydia as well.

"I'm coming for you, Lyddie," he whispered to himself as he walked up the gangplank of his temporary ship. "We're almost there."

* * *

The HMS Endeavour was the absolute last place Kitty wanted to be right now. Many of Beckett's men questioned why Lord Beckett had brought it upon himself to bring his pregnant sister-in-law with him as they hunted down pirates. She knew exactly why, however. It was because her father and her husband, who were both at risk of rebelling against him, were aboard as well. He wanted to keep all three of them in line, and more importantly keep her close to him. She was leverage, nothing more and nothing less. She still remembered the day that they'd left Port Royal…

_"You asked to see us, Lord Beckett?" Kitty asked. He'd called her to his office in the middle of the day with absolutely no warning whatsoever. Lord Beckett rose from his desk with an almost sinister smile on his face._

_"You're smart enough to know that I don't trust you," he said. Kitty tensed her jaw and subconsciously moved her hand to her lower abdomen. "I also don't trust your father to do what needs to be done. Not to mention I already sense that your husband has some regret."_

_"What does this have to do with me?" Kitty asked. "I'm already at your mercy. You know I won't risk going against you while you hold power over my family."_

_"The same can be said for both your husband and father," Beckett said, walking towards her slowly. "The HMS Endeavour is departing Port Royal tonight. Your husband and father will be on that ship, as will you be." Kitty widened her eyes and shook her head._

_"My Lord, I beg you to reconsider," Kitty said. "I have Little James to care for, I'm pregnant-"_

_"Which will assure me that they will do their jobs without question or resistance," Beckett said. Kitty felt herself pale as the realization dawned on her. He needed her to be near so that if necessary he had a way to threaten both of them. She gulped, looked down, and nodded slowly. "Fear not, sister. I've hired the best nanny in Port Royal to take care of my nephew. He'll be in good hands." Or rather, he'd be in Beckett's palm. "Go home and pack your things. I'll come to collect you myself." Kitty nodded and turned around, leaving the office to do as she was told. It wasn't as if she had a choice in the matter, after all._

"A piece of eight," Beckett said, bringing Kitty out from her deep thoughts. At the moment, she was standing at Beckett's right side, her head down and hands folded neatly together. "Nine of them you say?"

"Our new friend in Singapore was very specific," Mercer said. "Nine pieces of eight." Beckett pursed his lips and looked at the piece of eight between his fingers.

"What's the significance of that, I wonder?" Beckett mused.

"Does it matter?" Mercer asked. "There's nothing can hold against the armada, not with the Flying Dutchman at the lead."

"Nothing we know of," Beckett said. The unspoken words were painstakingly clear. They still weren't entirely sure of what was out there. Beckett was being especially careful ever since he'd learned of the existence of Nereids as well as the existence of the Kraken. Who knew what other supernatural mysteries laid across the seas? "Did your friend happen to mention where the Brethren Court are meeting?"

"He was mum on that, sir," Mercer said.

"Well then, he knows the value of information," Beckett said. "Best keep this between ourselves. Don't want anyone running off to Singapore, now do we?" He looked up at Kitty with a harsh glare. His meaning was very, very clear. Not that Kitty could even do anything with it. She had no means of leaving Beckett's side for a long, long while. "The Brethren know they face extinction. All that remains is for them to decide where they make their final stand."

"And who stands with them," Kitty added under her breath. She looked up and met eyes with her father, who was signing various requisition and execution orders. He looked at her sadly before turning to the papers. It killed her that she could do nothing as Beckett conquered the sea. In fact, the only thing she could do was pray that her sisters and their pirate companions could stop him before it was too late.


	54. At World's End: Chapter 3

Alice hated the cold.

She hated it more than she could ever possibly stand. And based on how far into her stomach the spawn was trying to burrow itself, her baby hated the cold just as much as Alice. She shivered and wrapped her blanket tighter around her. She had to admit, though. There was something about the gigantic mountains of ice and snow that made her feel almost serene. She knew she would have enjoyed their beautiful if it wasn't so damn cold. Nearby, Pintel and Ragetti were both covered in frost and shivering as well. Alice honestly felt sorry for Jack the Monkey more than anyone. She let out a weak whistle and the monkey ran over towards her, burying itself deep into her blanket and skirts.

"No one said anything about cold," Pintel grumbled.

"I'm sure there must be good reason for our suffering," Ragetti added.

"Why don't that obeah woman just bring Jack back the same way she brought back Barbossa?" Pintel asked.

"Because Barbossa was only dead," Tia Dalma snapped. "Jack Sparrow is taken body and soul to a place not of death, but punishment. De worst fate a person can bring upon himself. Stretching on forever. Dat's what awaits at Davy Jones' Locker."

"W-which is also why we n-need to get L-Lydia out of t-there," Alice stammered. Her teeth were chattering so much it was ridiculous.

"Well, I knew there was a good reason," Ragetti muttered quietly to himself.

"Shrimp!" Barbossa suddenly called out. She looked up at Barbossa who was motioning for her to come up to the helm. Jack the Monkey climbed onto her shoulder as Alice stood up. She rushed across the deck as fast as she possibly could. She did her best to completely ignore the man that had already been frozen to death and the man who broke off his own toe. In a few days, hopefully they'd be outside of this cold and near warmer waters. She reached the helm and sat down at the nearest crate. Barbossa took off his own coat and tossed it to her. She quickly wrapped the large coat around herself and immediately began to feel a little warmer.

"Thanks," Alice said. Barbossa simply nodded and returned to steering the ship. Behind her, Elizabeth was bundled up completely in the only other blanket on the ship. Nearby, Will and Tai Huang, the captain of Sao Feng's guard and his First Mate, were looking at the charts they'd gotten from Singapore.

"Nothing here is set," Will said as he manipulated the dials of the map. "These can't be as accurate as modern charts."

"No," Tai Huang said. "But it leads to more places."

"Over the edge, and over again," Will read. "Sunrise sets flash of green…" He grabbed the charts and ran over to Barbossa, holding up the deciphered map. "Do you care to interpret, Captain Barbossa?"

"Ever gazed upon the green flash, Master Gibbs?" Barbossa asked.

"I reckon I seen my fair share," Gibbs said. "It happens on rare occasion. At the last glimpse of sunset, a green flash of light shoots up into the sky. Some go their whole lives without seeing it, some claim to have seen it that ain't. Some say-"

"It signals when a soul come back to this world from the dead!" Pintel shouted. Alice and Barbossa rolled their eyes at Pintel's interruption almost simultaneously. Apparently they were more in-sync than they'd previously thought. Gibbs was practically giving poor Pintel a death glare for interrupting him. "Sorry…"

"Trust me, young master Turner," Barbossa said as he handed the charts back to Will. "It's not getting to the Land of the Dead that's the problem." Barbossa grabbed the rudder and moved it to the other side. "It's getting back." Will moved back to the table and began to look at the charts again, trying to decipher all of its secrets. Alice watched as the _Hai Peng_ travelled between two colossal walls of ice. She couldn't see the other side of that passage; only the darkness that lied ahead. She gulped and wrapped the blanket and coat around her tighter. She felt a very hard kick from the baby and she let out a grunt of pain. Barbossa's head immediately snapped to her with a concerned look in his eyes.

"I'm fine," Alice said. "He just got a pretty good kick in."

"So it's 'he' now?" Barbossa asked with a smirk. Alice had been going back and forth for months on whether or not she thought it was a boy or a girl. In truth, she's never had any idea on what gender baby she was having, but she never wanted to call her child 'it.' That made the spawn seem… well, inhuman. Like an object that happened to be inside of her. Alice simply shrugged.

"How old were you when you conceived?" Tai Huang suddenly asked. Alice furrowed her brown in confusion and turned to the Chinese pirate.

"Eighteen still," Alice said.

"How far along are you?" he asked again.

"About six and a half months," Alice answered. "Why?" Tai Huang muttered to himself in Chinese for a few seconds.

"It is going to be a girl," he said. Alice tilted her head in confusion. "My mother was a midwife. She was good at predicting whether a mother would have a son or a daughter." Alice simply shrugged as she shivered and looked down at her stomach. Maybe it was a little girl inside of her. Maybe it was a boy. She wouldn't really know until she gave birth. At least she knew that Barbossa would do everything in his power to help her through that process. He'd already done so much for her and she knew that he'd continue to do so. It wasn't just for Lydia, no matter how much he insisted. Deep down, she knew he cared for her like a sister. He would just never admit it.

* * *

"Mrs. Norrington. Pack your things. Come with me." Kitty stood up and furrowed her brow at Mercer's order. She'd been on this ship for about two weeks and knew exactly how everything worked. She was expected to remain by Lord Beckett's side almost constantly. She never had a moment alone with her husband; he was always on duty. It took less than a minute to pack the one other dress she'd brought with her for when her stomach inevitably grew larger. What was happening? Why was she to collect her things so suddenly? She stuffed the dress into her small satchel and carried it on her shoulder. Mercer led her out of her cabin and onto the deck, where her father was waiting, as well as her husband.

"There you are, dear sister," Beckett said as he strolled up to her. "I'm afraid I have to alter your accommodations."

"How so?" Kitty asked.

"I'm stationing Admiral Norrington on the _Flying Dutchman_ to keep Jones in line," Beckett said. "But with this there is certain need to ensure that he does it job as required." Kitty paled and immediately caught onto his meaning.

"So who's to kill me if my husband shows signs of hesitance?" Kitty asked coldly. Beckett merely smirked and let out a ghost of a laugh.

"What fun would it be if I told you?" Beckett asked. "I'd rather keep the both of you wary."

"So it's not Mercer?" Kitty asked.

"Well, he has those orders as well," Beckett replied. Kitty watched as the longboats were lowered and then met her father's dread filled eyes. She looked over to her left and saw James trying desperately not to meet her gaze. She knew what he was thinking. He was blaming himself for her position. He was blaming herself for her father's position. Yet none of it was his fault; not by a long shot. Kitty hardly registered it when she and her husband were escorted into Beckett's longboat while Mercer escorted her father. She took her seat in the longboat and it was Beckett who took a seat next to her rather than James. James ended up in the third longboat, which travelled ahead of Beckett and Mercer's boats.

They rowed through the burning debris of the ships the _Dutchman_ had completely and utterly destroyed. The scent of burning flesh filled the air and the smoke made her brown eyes sting and water. These dead men sailed under a pirate flag, but they didn't deserve that fate. No one deserved such a fate. No one other than Beckett, that is. He deserved to burn in hellfire more than any other man on this earth. Kitty watched from the short distance as her husband and his men boarded the _Dutchman_ with guns at the ready. When they reached the barnacle encrusted, seaweed covered ship, Beckett motioned for Kitty to ascend up to the deck first. She boarded the ship, closely followed by Beckett, Mercer, and then her aging father. "Go! All of you! And take that infernal thing with you! I will not have it on my ship!" she heard Jones shout.

"I'm sorry to hear that, because I will," Beckett said as he strolled out onto the deck. Mercer was following him closely, followed by Kitty. She didn't dare look up at the horrific crew before her. She didn't want to risk any of them knowing her face from the Isla Cruces. She knew perfectly well that Jones and his crew wouldn't want her on the _Dutchman_ any more than she wanted to be there as well. "Because it seems to be the only way to ensure that this ship do as directed by the company." Beckett motioned with his cane for James to take the chest containing Jones' heart away to where it would be guarded by multiple soldiers. "We need prisoners to interrogate, which tends to work best when they're alive."

"The _Dutchman_ sails as its Captain commands!" Jones shouted.

"And its Captain will sail it as commanded," Beckett snapped. Kitty winced at the tone and averted her gaze from Beckett. "I thought you would have learned that when I ordered you to kill your pet." Jones looked down, his eyes filled with a deep, deep sadness. As much as Kitty was glad that the Kraken was no more after witnessing the carnage it wrought upon the _Black Pearl,_ part of her could empathize with Jones' love for the creature. "This is no longer your world, Jones. The immaterial has become immaterial."

"Did you give those ships opportunity to surrender?" Governor Swann demanded.

"We let them see us," Jones replied with a smirk. "Me thinks that's opportunity enough." Jones crew snickered to themselves behind him.

"My daughters could have been on any one of them!" Governor Swann snapped. "Lord Beckett's wife as well. That alone should have been cause for restraint." Jones narrowed his eyes at the Governor at those words.

"We need prisoners to interrogate, which tends to work best when they're alive," Beckett growled.

"I am exterminating pirates, as directed by the company," Jones hissed. He took a step up to Governor Swann and smirked. "And your daughters are dead." Kitty looked up and shook her head. No. _No._ Elizabeth and Lydia couldn't have died. Kitty knew for sure Alice was alive; she'd heard her wails and cries to Jack as the _Pearl_ sunk. But Lydia and Elizabeth… it couldn't be true. "Pulled under with the _Black Pearl_ by my pet. Did Lord Beckett not tell you?" Kitty looked over at Beckett, her eyes filled with disbelief. He knew. He'd known this entire time and he'd never once had the desire to tell her and her father. He knew that his own _wife_ was dead and he never once mentioned it. Her father ran into Jones' cabin, where the chest was being held. Kitty rushed after her father into the room. He was about to do something rash, she knew it. "Governor!" she heard James shout. Kitty ran after and watched as her father held the bayonet in his hand, aiming at the heart. James was holding his wrists, stopping him from stabbing the heart.

"Father, don't!" Kitty shouted. Tears were streaming down his face as he looked at his son-in-law in the eyes.

"Is it true?" he asked. "She's dead. Elizabeth's dead… Alice… Lydia…"

"Alice is alive," Kitty said. "I heard her myself as Jones' beast pulled the _Pearl_ under."

"But you don't know about Elizabeth or Lydia, do you?" her father asked. James looked up to her desperately and Kitty only mouthed, 'I don't know.'

"Withdraw, Corporal," James ordered. When none of his men moved, he shouted, "Leave!" A the East India Trading Company soldiers exited the room, her father was trying to break out of James' grasp, repeatedly muttering 'let me go, let me go.'

"Let him go," Jones said as he appeared in the doorway. James immediately took out his gun and aimed it at Jones' head.

"Stay back!" Governor Swann shouted. "I will kill you!"

"And are you prepared for what comes after?" he asked as he crept towards them. "When I carved that traitorous vessel from my body, I cast upon it a terrible geis. If you stab my heart, yours must take its place." Kitty looked down at the heart inside of the chest, beating almost sickeningly in perfect rhythm to her own. "The crew are not bound to me. They are bound to the _Dutchman._ And the _Dutchman_ must have a captain. Will ye serve?" He shook his head furiously and attempted to stab the heart once more.

"No!" Kitty shouted and rushed forward. She felt his clawed arm grab her wrist and she let out a scream.

"Governor!" she heard Beckett shout. Beckett entered the room, Mercer close behind him as always. "Elizabeth and Alice are still alive."

"What?" Governor Swann asked.

"I saw them myself in Singapore," Mercer said. "Alice is pregnant as well." Kitty widened her eyes and felt her hand move to her stomach. Alice was pregnant? Governor Swann let out a bitter laugh and shook his head.

"No," he said. "You're all liars."

"No," Beckett said. "Jones is merely cruel. I am perhaps guilty for the sin of omission for which I apologize."

"Governor," Norrington said. "There is still hope. Please." He nodded towards the bayonet still in her father's hand. Governor Swann looked up at Kitty, hurt stinging his eyes. He jerked his hand out of James' grasp and placed the bayonet in his hand. He walked out of the room, stopping only to glare at Beckett.

"Our association has ended," Governor Swann said. "Kitty is returning home with me."

"Your daughter will remain on the _Dutchman_ until I decide she's to return to Port Royal," Beckett snapped. Jones suddenly looked up and narrowed his eyes at Kitty.

"Why?" Jones asked.

"She'll tell you if she wishes too," Beckett answered almost too casually. Kitty felt her baby turn inside of her stomach and felt her hand move subconsciously to it. "I do hope you have accommodations made for her." He motioned for Mercer to escort Governor Swann from the room. She felt Jones let go of her wrist finally as Beckett took a step closer. "Thought I must ask… Lydia wasn't seen in Singapore. You mentioned to me that you'd captured a Nereid working with Sparrow and sent her to your Locker. You told me you didn't bother to learn her name." Beckett paced around the chest, his arms crossed behind his back. "This Nereid… what did she look like?" Jones merely shrugged.

"Black hair, grey eyes," he replied. "Probably in her early twenties." Beckett's jaw tensed and he took a long slow breath, as if to try and calm himself. He glanced over at Kitty and James, giving them both a look that clearly meant they'd be hearing from him on this subject later. One thing was very certain.

Beckett knew that Lydia was a Nereid. And now he, and Kitty, knew that she was trapped in the Land of the Dead.

"You sent my wife to the Locker," Beckett said. "And you will retrieve her."

"I can't remove someone after they've been sentenced," Jones said.

"You will," Beckett repeated.

"I _can't_ ," Jones snapped back. Kitty gasped and backed further into the wall, afraid of what was to come from this conflict.

"You're dismissed, Captain," Beckett hissed through a clenched jaw. Jones sent a glare towards Kitty and James before strolling out of his cabin. "So, dear sister, you seem to have neglected to give me some crucial information when you informed me of Nereids." Kitty looked down and tried desperately to stop her jaw from shaking. "Yet that also means that my wife was keeping more secrets from me than I anticipated."

"What are you going to do to me?" Kitty asked bitterly. Beckett pursed his lips and looked up at James.

"You're not to speak of any of what was said in this room," Beckett ordered. He turned to Kitty and said, "Neither are you. I'll think of some way to deal with your lie by omission after you've returned to Port Royal." Kitty nodded her head slowly. "Admiral, if you would…" James took the keys to the chest from his belt and placed them into Beckett's open palm as he left the cabin. "Remain here for the time being, Kitty. I know you won't be foolish enough to stab the heart." Beckett turned around and left the cabin, slamming the door behind him. Kitty let herself slide down the wall and onto the floor, her body heaving with the sobs now bursting through.

This was going to be a very, very long assignment indeed.

* * *

It was the same over and over and over and over and over again.

Lydia would hear the same voice, _his_ voice, Cutler Beckett's cruel and evil voice, tell her that she was his alone and then she'd feel his phantom hands roam up her arms and around her neck, choking her so hard she thought her neck would snap. She'd feel those phantom hands rove around her body, marking her in a way that made her sick to her stomach. She'd turn around, see his vindictive smile, and then suddenly he was gone. His image had vanished into thin air and would only resurface whenever she was least expecting it. She had no idea how long she'd been living in this hellish state. She only knew that she was glad for the presence of both Jack and Thetis… otherwise she would have gone mad.

Well, madder than she already was.

Lydia didn't trust herself anymore. She didn't trust the noises she heard, the sensations she felt, the thoughts in her own mind… She had no idea what was reality and what was an illusion. Perhaps everything was real. Perhaps nothing was. Perhaps she wasn't in Davy Jones' Locker but was rather a soul floating in eternal purgatory, never to see the pearly gates of Heaven or the hot fires of Hell. At times she was convinced that she was dead and Thetis was just a manifestation of her subconscious desire for companionship. At times she was convinced that she was really in the Locker but that she was only imagining Jack and the _Pearl._

Lydia let out laugh as she stared off into the all-too familiar blue sky and bone white desert. Was she just now going insane? Or had she been this way for a long, long while? She doubted she knew anymore.

"Lydia! Earth to Lydia!" she heard a familiar female voice call out. Lydia turned around and saw Thetis standing behind her with her arms raised in a 'don't shoot' manner. "I swear you're losing touch more and more each day. I refuse to let you lose your mind. If you lose your mind, I lose mine."

"I'll keep that mind as I go crazy," Lydia replied with a dark snort. Over in the distance, Jack was yelling at one of his hundreds of invisible crew members. Half the time he'd acknowledge she existed. The other half, he'd be too preoccupied with the many other hims running around that she could never see no matter how hard she tried.

"Lydia, tie up that rope over there," Jack shouted. "He's not doing it right."

"And how would I know how to do it?" Lydia shouted back.

"I taught you yesterday," Jack said. His face twisted into confusion. "Or was it last week? Month? Year?" Jack merely shrugged and ran up towards her. He took her by the arm and led her to the rope in question. "Come on, Lyddie. You know how to do this." Jack bent down and began to demonstrate how to make that certain knot for that certain rope in that certain place. She knew she'd been through this with him before. Yet she couldn't remember if that was merely a figment of her imagination or not.

"So you're one of Sparrow's now, eh?" Lydia froze when she heard the familiar voice; a voice that had yet to haunt her in the Land of the Dead. _No, no, no… please no. Not him. Please don't tarnish that memory of him._ She turned around and saw the image of Hector Barbossa standing before her. He looked the exact same that he did on that day on the Isla de Muerta… including the bullet wound deep in his chest and the spurts of deep, crimson blood. "He did this to me. Remember? He shot me right in the heart. I love you, Swann. But you betrayed me. You married another. You gave yourself to another man then joined the one who killed me."

"Stop," Lydia whimpered. She felt a hand on her should and saw Thetis out of the corner of her eye.

"Lydia, he's not real," Thetis snapped. "Beckett's not here."

"Not Beckett," Lydia whispered, shaking her head. "Please just go away. I can't-"

"You can't what, Swann?" Barbossa asked, taking a step closer to her. His blood flowed to the deck, staining the wooden boards with each step he took. "You can't see me like this? How I was as I was dying?"

"Stop it!" Lydia hissed. "It's not my fault. Stop it!"

"Of course it's not _your_ fault," Barbossa said. "The only one here responsible for my death is standing to your right. No… I don't blame you for my death. I blame you breaking your promise to me. You know, the one where you claimed to love me." Lydia felt the hot tears run down her face. This was too much, even for the Locker. She couldn't handle it. She wanted it to end. For everything around her to just be over with already.

"I do," Lydia choked out. "I never stopped. I didn't betray you." Thetis's face fell and she tensed her jaw.

"Shit," she muttered. "Lydia, snap out of it. Hector's not really there. Whatever he's saying to you isn't real. The real Hector would never do this to you."

"Lydia," Barbossa said. Lydia looked up at Thetis and forced her words into her head. Thetis was right. She was completely right. The real Hector Barbossa would never do this to her. He would have understood that she did what was necessary. The image of Barbossa in front of him glowered at her, as if it knew she was beginning to see through its façade. "Lydia!"

"Go away!" Lydia shouted, shutting her eyes tight. When she opened them, Barbossa was gone and the ship was just as clean as it was before; not a drop of blood was in sight. She fell to the ground and started sobbing. She felt two hands on her shoulders. One was Thetis, the other was Jack.

"Lydia, you alright?" Jack asked. She looked up at him. He was having one of his few moments of clarity in this hellhole. For once, he looked like he was in complete awareness of everything.

"Hector," Lydia said. "He was here. The Locker showed me Hector."

"Well I didn't see him, so he definitely wasn't real," Jack said. He looked all around him and clenched his eyes shut. "I forget the other Jack's aren't real too."

"Everything feels so real," Lydia whispered. "It's hard to remember that it's in our heads."

"Yeah…" Jack said with a nod. He was silent for a few moments and looked around him.

"You only have two hallucinations to deal with," Thetis said softly. "I feel bad for Sparrow. He's got hundreds of him that never leave."

"I can relate," Lydia snapped at Thetis. She recoiled and tensed her jaw. She let out a long sigh and then stood up, walking further away from Lydia. Yes, Thetis was an anchor to reality, but now Lydia wasn't even sure that reality was real. Jack groaned and rose to his feet as well, running after one of his own hallucinations. Lydia returned to sitting alone and staring off into the bone white desert and clear blue sky, waiting for the cycle of torturous illusions to continue on, over and over and over and over and over again.


	55. At World's End: Chapter 4

Kitty had been on the _Dutchman_ for at least a week now. She'd never once left Jones' cabin. James was never able to come in for more than a few minutes at a time. Yet every time he came in, he was accompanied by the Corporal and Gillette and he could do no more than ensure that the heart was untouched by Jones. He could never say anything to her when they were around. Murtogg and Mullroy were always the ones that brought Kitty her meals, never James as much as she wished it. Just to have five minutes with her husband alone would suffice for her. It wasn't too much to ask for. Yet it never could happen, not with the threat of her death hanging between them.

No, her most frequent visitor to Jones' cabin was Jones himself. He largely ignored her as he stormed into the cabin to release his frustrations at his organ. Kitty strangely found piece in that single melody he would play over and over. Music had always been her solace and it seemed that it brought her comfort, regardless of where she was and who was playing it. When he would come in to play the organ, Kitty would just close her eyes and lose herself into that melody. What meaning did it hold for him, she wondered? Kitty had never played the organ herself, but the piano had to be close enough, right? Part of her desperately wanted to play it. Just to have played music in the last year. It had been so long since she'd even touched an instrument… She didn't realize how much she'd missed the music until it was staring at her right in the eye. After Jones would finish playing, she would come out of that fantasy of music and back into her sordid reality. Based on the pain she saw behind Jones' eyes, he very much felt the same as Kitty when his melody ended.

Kitty sat in her usual corner as Jones stalked into the room. Instead of ignoring her like he'd been doing for the last week, he gave her a brief glance as he stalked up to his organ. He sat down at his piano, his tentacles raised and poised to play the familiar tune, but he paused this time. This time, he turned to look over at Kitty. "You play?" he asked.

"Not the organ," Kitty replied. It felt strange, this first civil conversation with the man who sent her sister to the Locker. "Other instruments."

"Piano?" he asked.

"Yes," Kitty answered. "I've always preferred the oboe, though. I haven't touched one in over a year." He nodded for her to come and join him by the large, slimy organ. Kitty hesitantly rose to her feet and walked slowly towards Jones.

"You're with child," he said with a smirk. "I won't harm you."

"That already makes you a better man than Beckett," Kitty said with a scoff as she took a seat next to Jones at the organ. "Perhaps you sending Lydia to the Land of the Dead was a mercy for her. If he'd found her… I can scarcely imagine what he'd do."

"If you'd ever been there you'd know that it wasn't," Jones snapped.

"Compared to Beckett?" Kitty asked. Jones shrugged and let out a 'hm' in response. Kitty looked down at the slimy, greenish keys and said, "Is the organ much different from the piano?"

"If you're a decent enough musician you can adjust," Jones said. He nodded towards the organ. "Go ahead. I've seen that you're dying to play. I imagine Beckett's men are sick of my tune." Kitty looked up at him, wide eyed in shock. He was actually going to let her play his organ. Now looking at the state of the keys, she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to. Yet the grime didn't matter to her as much as she'd thought. It was a chance to play the music that she'd been long deprived of. Jones stood up, granting Kitty full usage of the bench. She looked down at the keyboard and let out a small smile. It felt like it was so long since she'd been in that position. Kitty dug through her brain, trying to figure out what exactly she wanted to play. She remembered a piece from Bach's _Well Tempered Clavier,_ the _Prelude in C_. That could work for now. It was one of the few pieces she'd committed to memory. Perhaps that distant memory remained in her fingertips. Kitty took in a deep breath and then began to play.

The initial sound that emerged from the organ as she played the first sixteenth notes of the piece made her jump, but she kept playing, ignoring the disgusting feeling of his tentacle slime on the keys and on her fingers. As played, she felt a stirring in her stomach and felt herself drift to a place that wasn't a ghostship captained by a cruel octopus man. "Forgive me for the cheeriness of the tune," Kitty said as she played. "This is one of the few pieces I think I could do on this organ from memory." It was strange for her to hear sustained notes on this piece that she knew for piano. It felt strange to have to put more focus into the releases of the notes rather than the attacks, but it was still music. Beautiful music that she'd been long deprived of. She'd only played for about two and a half minutes, but it felt like centuries. She moved her hands away from the keyboard and took a look breath. She didn't even realize she'd started crying until she felt the hot tear glide down her face. "Forgive me. It's been too long." Jones merely shrugged.

"Not bad for a first attempt," he said. Kitty let out a sad smile as she nodded.

"I should leave you be," Kitty said suddenly as she rose to her feet. "The last thing I want to be on this ship is an annoyance. I doubt you want me here anymore than I want to be here."

"Aye," Jones said. "No more than I want Beckett dictating what I do."

"I can relate," Kitty said with a scoff. She turned around and returned to her corner, listening as Jones played his familiar song that would be seared into her memory for the rest of her days.

* * *

Alice looked up into the sky as the _Hai Peng_ drifted across the still sea. She never got tired of watching the stars at night. The moon wasn't in the sky tonight, but the sky was still illuminated by the little silver specks of stars and the swirls of pale blues and purples. She let out a long, content sigh as she took in the smell of the sea water and the warm nighttime breeze. For the last week, the weather had been idyllic and warm, a vast change from the frozen waters that they'd been in two weeks ago. She knew that the baby was certainly happier with the weather conditions now. He was moving around a lot more than before. It never stopped feeling strange; the idea of a living breathing miniature human growing inside of her. For the first time in a while, both Alice and her baby were at a strange peace. The starry sky and its reflection on the water helped with that, putting Alice in a space that wasn't Earth yet wasn't the afterlife.

"So, have you thought of any names yet?" Barbossa asked. Alice turned her head around and looked at Barbossa who was steering the ship to who-knows-where.

"I have a few ideas," Alice said. "If we fail to rescue Jack, then I'm naming him Jack."

"And if it's a girl?" Barbossa asked with a smirk.

"Still Jack," Alice answered with a small smile. "But if we succeed and get him and Lydia back, then I'm naming her Connor. If it's a girl, her middle name has to be Cordelia regardless."

"Cordelia?" Barbossa asked. "Why?"

"Family tradition," Alice answered. "The first born girl in each generation has the middle name Cordelia. My mother's middle name was Cordelia. So is Lydia's."

"Lydia Cordelia Swann," Barbossa said, musing to himself more than anyone. For a moment, he was lost in thought. His face always grew just a bit stonier and colder when he was thinking about Lydia, particularly whenever Alice ended up telling him something about her that he didn't know yet. He shook his head a little and then turned back to Alice, his mind now back into reality. "So if we do succeed in retrieving Jack and Lydia from the Locker and you have a boy, what name do you have in mind?"

"Still Connor," Alice said with a laugh. "It's insane to think that in two months I won't be pregnant anymore. I'll be a mother. I'll have a kid and I'll have to raise it and not mess up."

"You won't do it alone," Barbossa said as he turned the rudder slightly. "You've got a ship full of people there for you, annoying as half of 'em might be." Alice let out a laugh and shook her head. Typical, typical Barbossa. She looked ahead and saw Will and Elizabeth speaking. Well, hardly speaking was more of an accurate term, but this was more than she'd seen them talk in a very long while. Elizabeth had been distant from everyone since this journey began and Alice had yet to figure out why. Some days it was if Elizabeth wasn't even capable of looking Alice in the eye or at her stomach. Elizabeth finally turned around and stormed away from Will, leaving him alone on the other end of the ship. Suddenly Will seemed to notice something through the swirling, misty fog and then ran towards Barbossa.

"Barbossa! Ahead!" Will shouted.

"Aye," Barbossa said. "We're good and lost now." Alice furrowed her brow and stood up. What was Barbossa playing at? What was he planning?

"Lost?" Elizabeth asked.

"For certain you have to be lost to find the place that can't be found," Barbossa said. "Elseways everyone would know where it was."

"We're gaining speed," Gibbs said, looking over the edge of the _Hai Peng._

"Aye," Barbossa said with a nod. Alice looked over the edge and saw that the ripples under the ship were moving faster now. Her stomach turned… and it wasn't because of the baby.

"To stations!" Will ordered. Everyone on the ship rushed to their stations, save for Barbossa and Alice. She looked up at him, trying to convey her unspoken questions to him. All he did was smirk and look on ahead. He knew what he was doing. He knew perfectly well what he was doing. "All hands to stations! Hard to port! Gather Way!"

"Nay, belay that!" Barbossa shouted. "Let her run straight and true!"

"Blimey," Alice heard Ragetti gasp. She ran towards the stern and gasped at the sight before here. There, straight ahead, was the largest waterfall that Alice had seen in her entire life. And they were all being pulled right to the edge.

"You've doomed up all!" Elizabeth snapped as she stormed towards Barbossa.

"Don't be so unkind," Barbossa said as he walked up to Elizabeth. "You may not survive to pass this way again and these be the last friendly words you hear." He reached up and took Elizabeth by the chin as he smirked. She snapped her head around and watched the waterfall ahead.

"Barbossa-" Alice started to say but Barbossa cut her off as he took her by the wrist, pulling her closer to him as he secured himself to the ship.

"Do you trust me, Alice?" He asked. Alice looked ahead at the waterfall and then back at Barbossa. She knew that he would do anything to get into the Land of the Dead to find Lydia, just as she would do anything to find Jack. They had the same goal. They had the same methodology of doing anything and everything that needed to be done. He had a reason for bringing them to this certain doom. He knew what lay on the other side of that waterfall. He had to. Or maybe he didn't. Maybe this was a huge bargain that he was praying would work out in the end. She could very well die within the next ten minutes. She and her unborn child could die and nothing would come of it but their silent demise in the middle of this sea of nothingness. But it could result in getting in Jones' Locker and finding her lover and her sister. Right now, though, she had do decide… did she trust Hector Barbossa and his insane schemes?

"I do," Alice finally said.

"Then hold on tight," he replied. Alice nodded and took a long, slow breath.

"All to port!" Elizabeth shouted as she ran to grab some rigging.

"Hold on!" Will screamed. The junk turned to its side as they neared the precipice of the waterfall. Alice took Barbossa's hand and grabbed the ropes next to him. She felt her entire body shake and nausea in throat as the _Hai Peng_ gained more and more speed. She shut her eyes tight and gripped the ropes so hard that she was sure her knuckles were white. She and Barbossa were still holding hands, as if they were trying to comfort each other with the approaching drop. He was scared too. She knew it perfectly well based on how tightly he was clutching her own hand. He would just never show it on his face. The ship began to tilt backward and Alice let out a loud scream. Next to her, Barbossa was laughing almost maniacally.

The last thing Alice could remember was hearing a loud crash around her as her world went completely dark and completely silent.


	56. At World's End: Chapter 5

Lydia heard Jack fire off his pistol at no one for the… well… in truth she'd lost count of the times that she'd seen or heard him shoot one of his hallucinations. But it had certainly happened again. This time over a peanut that didn't exist. Thetis let out a disgusted snort and rolled her eyes. She'd been getting more annoyed with both Jack and Lydia as of late. Perhaps because she was the only one down here who was retaining her sanity. "All hands slackened braces!" Jack shouted. He walked around the ship, as if he were inspecting people doing a wealth of work on the _Pearl_. He knew perfectly well that none of it was real. So did Lydia, until her own hallucinations appeared. "Mr. Sparrow," Jack said to one of his copies. Lydia couldn't hear the other half of the conversation, nor did she really care about it. More than likely one of his many doubles hadn't tied something down corrected. "What say you about the condition of this tack line?"

"If I hear this conversation one more time…" Thetis growled.

"Proper?" Jack asked. He turned to Lydia and motioned for her to come observe whatever it was he was observing. Lydia sighed and rose to her feet. She walked towards Jack almost lazily. "Proper? It is neither proper nor suitable, sir, it is neither acceptable nor adequate. It is in obvious fact an abomination." Jack picked up the rope and tossed it ahead of him, where it fell to the deck with a loud thud. "Don't you agree, Lydia?"

"I'll take your word on it," Lydia said.

"Shall I?" Jack suddenly said, looking rather annoyed with this particular double of his. He suddenly pulled out his sword and thrust it at the air in front of him. Lydia stiffened and widened her eyes. That had yet to ever happen. He'd never once killed one of his doubles. Something in the Locker changed… some aspect that wasn't present before. Lydia looked over at Thetis, who seemed to be thinking the same thing. "That sort of thinking got us into this mess," he said as he pulled the sword out of his imaginary self. He wiped his sword against the rail of the _Pearl_ and looked over at Lydia. "Gentlemen, we have lost speed and therefore time, precious time, which cannot be regained once lost. Do you understand?" He turned around and sheathed his sword as he asked, "Do you now? Doldrums sir, has the whole crew on edge. I have absolutely no sympathy for any of you fecculant maggots. And no patience to pretend otherwise." He jumped up onto the rail and grabbed a rope. Lydia ran up towards him and narrowed his eyes. Never once had either of them been able to leave the _Black Pearl_ since they'd gotten on it. Any time either of them tried to leave, they'd just find themselves back on the deck, as if they'd never gotten off the ship.

"Something happened," Thetis said. "Jones isn't in complete control anymore."

"I think so too," Lydia said. She looked up at Jack. If they could leave the _Pearl…_ something was definitely different.

""Gentlemen, I wash my hands of this weirdness!" Jack shouted. He looked down at Lydia and extended a hand. "Miss Swann, would you care to join me?"

"Of course," Lydia replied with a small smirk. She took the rope with Jack and the two of them jumped off of the ship and onto the flat white desert below them. Lydia felt her feet touch the ground and looked around her. They were still on the desert floor. They hadn't been mysteriously transported back onto the ship. What was happening in the Locker? Did something happen to Davy Jones? Was there a chance to get out? Jack let go of the rope and licked his finger, trying to find a breeze.

"No wind, of course there's no bloody wind," Jack said as he started to walk away from the _Black Pearl._ Lydia ran off to follow him. In the corner of her eye, she saw Thetis appear next to her. "On my soul I do swear, not a gust, a whisper, a tiny miniature lick." Jack suddenly sniffed the air and looked down to his right. Lydia followed his gaze and saw a strange stone sitting in front of them. Curious… she'd never seen an actual rock in the God-forsaken place before. Only flatness and sky. Jack picked up the white stone and chucked it across the desert, watching it bounce and roll away. Jack sighed and turned around walking back towards the ship and muttering to himself.

"Someone else is here," Thetis said as she walked with Lydia. "You feel it, don't you?"

"I don't know," Lydia said. "Beckett and Barbossa haven't appeared yet. Normally they do when Jack's delusions get worse…"

"Yes, I know, but why would he do that?" she heard Jack ask himself. "Well, because he's a lummox, isn't he? And we'll have a magnificent garden party and you're not invited." He paused and turned around, meeting Lydia's grey eyes. "You are, of course, Lydia. Not a garden party without a lady."

"Rock," Thetis suddenly said. Lydia looked down and widened her eyes as that same rock appeared behind Jack. He turned around and noticed this particular rock as well.

"You see the rock?" Jack asked.

"Yes," Lydia said as she bent down to the ground to observe it more closely. It wasn't a special rock; but it was a rock.

"Shoo," Jack ordered the rock, moving his hands to almost will it away. He turned around, took a few steps, then snapped around again as if trying to catch the rock in the act of moving. But it didn't Because it was a rock. "Just to be clear, you also see the rock?"

"I do," Lydia replied. Jack let out a 'huh' and then picked up the rock. He took a long lick and then frowned at the taste. He shook his head and threw the rock far away from him once again. "And the point of licking it was?" Jack merely shrugged and walked towards a dangling rope. "Now we're being followed by rocks."

"At least we can both see this particular hallucination," Lydia added.

"All three of us," Thetis added.

"Yes, technically, but Jack can't see you," Lydia said. Jack turned around briefly, arched an eyebrow at her, and then walked towards the rope again. He pulled on the rope and it came falling down. It eventually stopped falling, forming a large coil at the base of the _Pearl._ Jack picked up the rope and shrugged at Lydia. "You want to try and pull the ship, don't you?"

"Worth a shot," Jack answered. He took the end of the rope and ran away from the _Pearl_ , stretching the rope as far as he possibly could. Lydia sighed and followed Jack, taking part of the rope. When they were far enough away from the ship, both Jack and Lydia began to pull. She knew it was completely pointless. She knew perfectly well that two people couldn't pull an entire ship across a flat white desert. But then again, nothing seemed to make any sense in Davy Jones' Locker. Perhaps it could somehow be done. The attempt was in vain, though. The ship didn't budge an inch. Lydia let go of the rope and took a few steps back. Jack kept trying to pull the ship, though. Eventually, he stopped and then fell backwards onto the flats. Lydia sat down next to Jack as he stared blankly up at the clear blue sky.

"At least we tried," Lydia said. Thetis snorted and sat down next to Lydia.

"You knew it was pointless," she said.

"Shut up," Lydia snapped. Thetis' mood as of late wasn't helping Lydia's sanity in the slightest. Thetis rolled her sea-colored eyes and let out a scoff. "You haven't been helping at all. All you've been doing is sitting around making snarky comments!"

"Lydia-" Thetis said.

"All you've been doing is saying, 'this won't work because we're in Hell' and telling me that I'm stupid for believing in my hallucinations for even a moment! You are a hallucination!" Lydia shouted. She had no idea how long this anger had been getting pent up, but it felt good to finally yell at Thetis.

"Lydia-"

"I don't even know you're real!" Lydia screamed. "I could very well be screaming at nothing right now!" She let out a loud laugh and shook her head. "I've done it. I've finally gone completely insane. Now where are Beckett and Barbossa? I know they want to taunt me some more."

"Lydia!" Thetis yelled. Lydia wasn't paying any attention at all to Thetis, though. If she were, she would have noticed that Thetis was looking at something behind Lydia with wide eyes.

"Come on out!" Lydia shouted. "Who's going to torture me next?"

"Hey, stupid!" Thetis finally snapped. "Look behind you." Lydia froze and turned around. What she saw was by far the most bizarre thing she'd ever seen in her entire stay in the Land of the Dead. There behind was a small horde of those white rocks, which were apparently not actually rocks, but rather white rock-shaped crabs. Said crabs were crawling towards the _Black Pearl_ and lifting it. As if they were trying to carry the ship towards whatever destination they had in mind.

"Um… J-Jack?" Lydia stuttered. "L-Look up." Jack opened his eyes and sat up, watching as the _Pearl_ began to move slowly forward. He rose to his feet and backed up to where Lydia was standing. The two of them could only stand and watch for a great many minutes while this army of rock-crab-things carried this massive ship away. It had moved a significant distance away from them when Lydia and Jack finally exchanged incredulous looks. Even Thetis looks perplexed by that entire situation.

"I have nothing to say for once," Thetis said. "We, uh, we should go follow it."

"Good idea," Lydia said. She looked back at Jack and immediately both of them started running after the _Black Pearl._ Where were they going? She had no idea. But at least it was going to be a change of scenery.

* * *

Alice coughed up all the water that filled her lungs as she crawled onto the sandy beach before here. The salty tang of the sea water hung in her mouth and all Alice wanted to do was wash it out. All she could see around her were the crew members slowly emerging and the wreckage of the _Hai Peng._ Crates and barrels and debris littered the beach. It was a good thing the crew had survived this, because the ship most certainly did not. "This truly is a God-forsaken place," Gibbs said as he rose to his feet. Alice felt a set of hands help her rise to her feet and saw Barbossa standing next to her.

"The baby?" he asked. Alice placed her hand on her stomach and waited anxiously to feel some sort of movement. Finally, she felt just a small kick and she let out a sigh of relief. The baby was still there. She didn't lose her unborn child. She smiled, looked up at Barbossa, and nodded.

"I don't see Jack or Lydia," Elizabeth said as she looked around the beach. "I don't see anyone."

"They're both here," Barbossa said as he and Alice walked further onto the shore. "Davy Jones never once gave up that what he took."

"And does it matter?" Will asked. "We're trapped here by your doing, no different than Jack or Lydia." Alice heard Jack the Monkey let out his usual tittering and turned her head towards him. The monkey was holding the maps, but was also watching a small stream of crabs disappear under Tia Dalma's skirts.

"Witty Jack is closer dan you tink," Tia Dalma said. "And Lydia's not far from 'im." Alice looked to where Tia Dalma was looking and dropped her jaw when she saw a familiar set of black sails rise above the sand dunes. As the ship grew closer, Alice saw the faint silhouette of a man wearing a hat she hadn't seen in a long, long time. She also saw another silhouette, one of a woman in men's clothing. Alice couldn't stop herself from smiling they came closer. She brought her hands to face and let her happy tears flow. It was Jack. It was really him. And he was alive! Sort of… he wasn't really alive, but he would be when they returned to the land of the living. She looked over to Barbossa who look as if he couldn't hold back his own smile as well.

"Boat," Ragetti stammered as he pointed to the _Black Pearl._

"Slap me thrice and hand me to mama," Gibbs said. "It's Jack!" The ship sailed deeper into the ocean before them. The entire crew waited as they watched a longboat lower and two small figures climb in.

"I don't understand how this happened," Alice said as she watched the longboat begin to move away from the _Black Pearl,_ "But it's them! It's really them!" Barbossa nodded and walked forward slowly. The longboat was nearly at the shore now and she could make out the faces of her lover and her sister. Jack hopped out of the boat and pulled it onto the shore. Lydia was following close behind him. The entire crew burst into smiles and ran towards Jack and Lydia as they walked down the shoreline. Alice wished she could have run, but the most she could do was a hobbling sort of jog.

"Jack!" Gibbs shouted.

"Mr. Gibbs," Jack snapped.

"Aye, Captain," Gibbs said.

"I thought so," Jack said. "I expect you're able to account for you actions, then." Gibbs furrowed his brow in confusion and looked the rest of the _Pearl's_ crew. Alice took a step closer and tilted her head to the side.

"Sir?" Gibbs asked.

"There has been a perpetual and virulent lack of discipline aboard my vessel! Why is that, sir?" Jack asked. Lydia walked up to the group more slowly, occasionally looked to her left and muttering things to herself.

"Sir… you're in Davy Jones' Locker, Captain," Gibbs said. Alice watched as Jack's face began to twitch.

"I know that," Jack said. Alice knew that tone of voice well. It was the tone he used when he was trying to convince other people that he knew something that he didn't actually know. Did Lydia realize she was in the Locker or was she just as ignorant and Jack? "I know where I am and don't think I don't."

"Jack Sparrow," Barbossa said as he stepped up to his old rival.

"Ah! Hector!" Jack said with a smile as he strolled up to Barbossa. Lydia looked up at Barbossa and shook her head. She looked down to her left again and hissed something under her breath. "It's been too long, hasn't it?"

"Aye," Barbossa said. "Isla de Muerte, remember? You shot me." Jack nodded for a second before shaking his head.

"No I didn't," Jack said.

"Yes you did," Lydia snapped. "I was there. I saw it." Barbossa looked past Jack and tried to meet Lydia's gaze. Yet it was if she refused to look up at any of them. "What do you mean you see him too? It's impossible…" she muttered so quietly that Alice could barely hear her.

"Alice!" Jack greeted with a large smile. He looked down at her stomach and widened his eyes. "Holy pregnant. You must tell me who the father is."

"I-It's you, Jack," Alice said with a frown.

"No I'm not," Jack said. "I'm smart enough to pull out."

"The spawn inside me disagrees," Alice said with a snort. Jack merely shrugged and then moved onto the next person. It almost hurt, his casual dismissal of her and their unborn child.

"Tia Dalma, out and about, aye?" Jack said as he moved onto Tia Dalma. "You add an agreeable sense of macabre to any delirium."

"He thinks we're a hallucination," Will finally said.

"Of course you're hallucinations," Lydia snorted. "Everything here is a hallucination. He can't be here, he's dead," she said as he pointed to Barbossa, "Of course it's strange. First time I'm not seeing you bleed out. First time Jack's actually seen you." Barbossa twitched slightly, as if recoiling from her easy discount of him. She put a hand on his shoulder, trying to comfort her friend.

"William, tell me something," Jack said as he strolled up to Will. "Have you come because you need my help to save a certain distressing damsel or rather damsel in distress? Either one."

"No," Will said.

"Well then you wouldn't be here, would you?" Jack asked. "Q.E.D. you're not really here."

"He has a point," Lydia said to the invisible figure to her left.

"Jack," Elizabeth said. "This is real. We're here." Jack froze and pointed at Elizabeth. He turned around and looked at everyone down the line. Jack turned around and ran towards Gibbs.

"The Locker, you say?" he asked Gibbs.

"Aye," Gibbs responded. Lydia furrowed her brow in confusion and stepped closer to Jack.

"You've known that we've been in the Locker for a long time," Lydia said. She looked over to the right of herself and froze then shook her head almost violently before saying, "No. It can't be."

"Which means Alice is really…" Jack then made motioned, signifying a very large stomach.

"Aye," Gibbs answered.

"And it's-"

"Definitely yours," Alice shouted. Jack turned around and looked down at Alice's stomach, his eyes wide and full of shock.

"We've come to rescue you and Lydia," Elizabeth said as walked closer to the two of them. Lydia let out a snort and rolled her eyes at Elizabeth.

"That's rich," Lydia sneered.

"Have you, now?" Jack asked. "Very kind of you. But it would seem that as I posses a ship and you don't, you're the ones in need of rescuing and I'm not sure as I'm in the mood save for a few particular people."

"I see my ship right there," Barbossa snapped as he pointed to the _Black Pearl._ Alice narrowed her eyes at Barbossa and crossed her arms. He was really going to start up with this again? Really?

"Can't spot it," Jack said as he pretended to search the waters. "Must be a tiny little thing hiding somewhere behind the _Pearl."_

"Jack, Cutler Beckett has the heart of Davy Jones," Will said. "He controls the _Fluying Dutchman._ "

"He's taking over the seas," Elizabeth added. Alice looked over at Lydia, who recoiled and snapped her eyes shut. She turned around and gripped her head tightly. Barbossa lurched forward as if he were going to run to her, but Alice held out an arm, blocking his path. She only needed to give him one look for him to come to his senses. Both of them knew perfectly well that he might hurt her more than help her right now.

"De song has already been sun," Tia Dalma said. "De Brethen Court is called."

"Leave you people alone for just a minute and look what happens," Jack said. "Everything's gone to pot and Alice is pregnant!"

"Aye, Jack, the world needs you back something fierce," Gibbs said.

"And you need a crew," Will said.

"Why should I sail with any of you?" Jack asked. "Four of you have tried to kill me in the past. One of you succeeded." Alice gasped and widened her eyes. What? She'd been travelling with Jack's murderer? It wasn't Barbossa because he wasn't anywhere near then… It wasn't Will because he was with Alice in the longboat the entire time. Pintel and Ragetti were easily eliminated from that grouping as well. That left one person… the one person who saw Jack last before he was killed… Alice turned around and looked at Elizabeth, whose gaze was downcast and filled with guilt.

Her own sister had killed Jack Sparrow.

"Oh, she's not told you?" Jack asked with a smirk. "You'll have loads to talk about while you're here." Alice felt her jaw quiver as the feelings of hate, betrayal, and unbridled anger began to fill her to her very core. Part of her felt like her unborn child was even angry with her.

"You…" Alice whispered. "You bitch!" She screamed and charged at Elizabeth. Barbossa took both of her arms, holding her back. "Let go of me! She killed him!"

"Alice, I," Elizabeth started to say.

"No! Don't you _fucking_ dare try to justify yourself!" Alice snarled. "You've known. This entire time you've known and you've been acting like you felt sorry for me. You fucking lying bitch!" She struggled to break free from Barbossa's grasp.

"Shrimp, restrain yourself," Barbossa hissed into her ear. "You can settle this when we get back."

"If you think for even a _moment_ that I'm going to let her back to the land of the living, you're sorely mistaken," Alice bit back.

"Alice," Barbossa snapped. She looked up at him, her eyes still blazing with fury. Alice was glad for their unspoken understanding. It was clear that he wanted her to calm down. They had a mission to accomplish. Elizabeth's misdeeds weren't his concern right now. That was something that could be dealt with later. But Alice was too furious to even consider letting her leave the Locker. On the other hand, they could send her back… Alice let out a low growl and then back down. Barbossa let go of her wrists slowly and Alice stalked as far away from Elizabeth as she could.

"Anyway…" Jack said as he approached. "Alice you're definitely coming with me." Alice let out a faint smile and nodded. He walked over towards Tia Dalma and said, "As for you…"

"Now don't tell me you didn't enjoy it at the time?" she asked with a smirk. Jack let out laugh and shrugged.

"Fair enough," he said. "Alright, you're in." He looked at Ragetti and grimaced. "Don't need you, you scare me." He continued down the line of people. "Gibbs, you can come. Marty…" Jack scowled and Pintel and then pointed at Cotton. "Cotton. Cotton's parrot, I'm a little iffy. Well, at least I'll have someone to talk to."

"What am I, chopped liver?" Alice asked. Jack gave her a mocking pout and then turned around to face the new Chinese additions to their crew.

"Who are you?" Jack asked them.

"Tai Huang. These are my men," Tai Huang said.

"Where do your allegiances lie?" Jack asked.

"With the highest bidder," Tai Huang answered.

"I have a ship," Jack said.

"That makes you the highest bidder," Tai Huang replied with a smile.

"Good man!" Jack said. "Good man. Weigh anchor, all hands, prepare to make sail."

"Jack…" Alice started to say. He had already pulled out his compass, though, and was searching for his head. However, as Alice leaned closer to him, she saw that his compass was just spinning around and around and around and around… there was no way it was going to work while they were in Davy Jones' Locker.

"Which way ya going, Jack?" Barbossa asked as he tapped the charts in his hand. Alice walked up to him and took the charts from him. She nodded over in Lydia's direction. She was still pacing in a circle, muttering to no one. He nodded slowly and let Alice take the charts. She watched as he walked over towards Lydia almost hesitantly. Jack attempted to take the charts from her, but she held them away from him.

"No," Alice said. "Because we're not leaving without Barbossa and Lydia. If I have to deal with Elizabeth, you're dealing with him." Jack groaned and stomped almost childishly towards the longboat. Alice stood on the shore, waiting for Barbossa to hopefully bring Lydia to her senses.


	57. At World's End: Chapter 6

"Lydia, I'm telling you, everything is absolutely real," Thetis snapped. Lydia gripped her hair tighter and shook her head.

"It can't be," Lydia whispered. "Hector's dead. There's no way he could be here. It's not possible."

"It also wasn't possible for a crab army to move an entire ship, but clearly…" Thetis paused and took a step back. "I think you two need a moment alone."

"Who two?" Lydia snapped.

"Lydia?" Lydia paused and turned her head. There in front of her was Hector Barbossa, exactly as she remembered him before he was killed on the Isla de Muerta. Big feathered hat, large coat, and monkey on his shoulder… it was exactly as she remembered those many years ago. But something about him felt more real than any of her memories.

"Stop talking to me," Lydia whimpered. "You can't be real. It's impossible."

"I know, it's hard to believe," Barbossa said as he carefully stepped closer to her. Lydia took a step away from him. "But I'm not a figment of your imagination. I'm very real and very alive. Well… in a manner of speaking."

"You were shot," Lydia said. "Right in front of my eyes. You were _shot_."

"Aye," Barbossa said. "And I have the scar to prove it." Barbossa pulled down his shirt just enough to reveal the raised, reddish scar that resided on his chest in the exact spot he was a shot. Lydia took a breath and widened her eyes.

"Lydia, he's real," she heard Thetis whispered. "Since when could Jack see him? Since when can I see him?" Lydia looked over at Thetis and then closed her eyes. Everything that Thetis was saying had merit. She'd never been able to see Barbossa. This version of him wasn't bleeding or dying. He wasn't blaming her for marrying another man. When Lydia opened her eyes and saw that Barbossa was still there, part of her knew instantaneously.

"How?" Lydia croaked out. "How are you alive?"

"Tia Dalma raised me from the dead," Barbossa said as he let go of his shirt and took a step closer to her. "One moment I was looking at you while I died and then the next I was in her hut and it'd been two years." Lydia felt tears start to fall down her cheeks. She fell to her knees on that sandy beach as every realization came crashing down on her. She was in Davy Jones' Locker. It had been long enough for Alice to become very pregnant. They really had a way to get out of this torturous realm.

And Hector Barbossa was really alive and standing right in front of her.

Lydia finally let herself sob into the sand. "I'm sorry," she rasped as she cried. "I'm so sorry." She heard him move towards her and bend down next to her in the sand. His arms wrapped around her and pulled her closer to him. Lydia almost instinctively clung his coat, savoring the realness of the situation; the realness of _him._ "You're real. You're alive."

"I am," he whispered into her black hair.

"I'm so sorry," Lydia whispered again. She felt Barbossa kiss the top of her head as he held her tighter.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," he murmured.

"But I married someone else," Lydia said. She felt him stiffen briefly and she was instantly afraid of how he was reacting. Barbossa didn't know. He had to have not known. She just completely wrecked everything. She knew it.

"I know, Lyddie," Barbossa said. Lydia dropped her jaw slightly. He already knew about her marriage to Beckett? "Alice told me everything. But you don't need to apologize for that. Not at all. I was dead for two years and you had no way of knowin' that I'd be brought back." Lydia leaned back a bit and looked up at him. Oh yes. He was definitely not a hallucination if he was talking like that. "It was a chance for you to save your family and you took it. How I could anyone be mad at that?" He kissed the top her hairline again and shook his head. "Nay. I'm more angry at Beckett for daring to hurt you and I most certainly plan on killing him. Unless you'd rather have that luxury, then I will, of course, oblige to your wishes."

"You'll acquiesce to my request?" Lydia asked with a small, teasing smile. Barbossa let out a laugh and nodded his head.

"Aye," Barbossa answered. "I'm very much inclined to acquiesce to your request." Lydia widened her smile and wiped away some of the tears falling from her face. "I have a request of my own, now that I'm thinking about it."

"What is it?" Lydia asked.

"I'd very much like to kiss you," he said. Lydia felt the rush of heat flow into her cheeks at the request. It was such a small thing, but the fact that he cared enough to ask her… "If you're not comfortable with that, I-" Lydia cut him off by leaning up towards him and firmly kissing him on the mouth. It wasn't a long, drawn-out passionate kiss. It was a mere peck on the lips, just as he'd done that first time in the middle of the night on the _Black Pearl._ Barbossa pulled her closer to him and kissed her harder. She could sense his desperation, his elation, and even a small tinge of nervousness without having to open her eyes. She moved her hand to the side of his face and let him kiss her, _actually_ kiss her. It was intoxicating; the taste of the sea on his lips, the feeling of their chapped roughness on her softer lips… just simply knowing that it was him kissing her instead of-

That's when things started to go downhill in Lydia's head. Images of Beckett began to fill her head; reminders of when he-

Lydia pulled away from the kiss abruptly and clutched her head tightly, trying to force those memories out of her mind. She felt herself start to hyperventilate, she felt herself begin to feel guilty. Why? Why was she letting that man enter her head while she was kissing Barbossa. "I'm sorry…" she whispered. Barbossa lightly rubbed the side of her arm as he quietly shushed her.

"Lydia, I'll tell you once and I'll tell you again, you never have to be sorry," Barbossa whispered to her. "I don't expect you to suddenly be able to move on from everything that you've through the moment I appear. S'not realistic." Lydia took a deep breath and nodded. "Lyddie, if ever you want me to stop, tell and I will. And if for some very unlikely reason I don't, slap me." Lydia let out a small chuckle at that and nodded. Barbossa backed away and rose to his feet. He extended a hand to Lydia, who smiled and took it. He helped her to her feet and wrapped a protective arm around her waist. "You know, I could still hear for a good few minutes after I died." Lydia furrowed her brow in confusion. What was the significance of-

Oh. _Oh._

"You told me, well, my corpse, that you loved me," Barbossa said. Lydia looked down and felt her face grow redder than it already was. "It's been almost three years since then. Do you still feel that way?" Lydia looked up at Barbossa and nodded.

"Yes," Lydia said. "I loved you then and I still do." She looked down for a moment, gathering what courage she had left, and then looked back up at Barbossa. "Do you love me?"

"Aye," Barbossa said. "Never stopped." He nodded towards the longboat and said, "Come on. My ship awaits." Lydia let out a laugh and shook her head as his antics.

"You two are so adorable!" she heard Thetis squealed. Lydia turned her head to the right and saw Thetis standing there with her hands over her heart. Lydia let out an exasperated sigh and rolled her eyes. Barbossa raised a single eyebrow and looked over in Thetis' direction. He couldn't see her, of course. No one but Lydia could.

"What is it?" Barbossa asked almost warily.

"Don't worry about it," Lydia said. Thetis stuck out her tongue mockingly and marched towards the longboat. Lydia and Barbossa both headed towards the longboat, his arm still wrapped around her waist. She smiled as she looked at the _Black Pearl_ in the distance.

They were both alive and they were going home.

* * *

Alice couldn't help but smile when she watched Barbossa and Lydia interact. Jack, on the other hand, was gagging in an exaggerated manner. "Really, Jack?" Alice asked. Jack shrugged and stepped into the longboat. Alice rolled her eyes and stepped in as well. She looked back at Lydia and Barbossa and the two of them were walking back towards them. He was holding her close to him, unable to hide the smirk on his face. "It's adorable," Alice said.

"It's Barbossa," Jack muttered. He sat down next to her and looked down at her stomach again. "So… uh… wow."

"Yeah," Alice said, putting a hand on her stomach. "Imagine how I felt when Tia Dalma told me."

"I'm going to be a father, then?" Jack asked. Alice nodded.

"Aye," she said. Alice smiled and wrapped her arms around Jack. He paused for a moment before hugging her back. "I've missed you so much. You have no idea…"

"I've missed you too, Al," Jack murmured back to her. Alice hugged him tighter, not wanting to let go of Jack for a moment. She moved just a hair away from him so that she could kiss him. It was such a good feeling, to actually be able to feel his lips on hers for the first time in months. Jack seemed eager to kiss her as well. He almost immediately added tongue to that kiss. Her heart began to race like it always seemed to do whenever she'd kissed Jack in the past, but it was more intense this time. It had been so, so long… Jack pulled away for a moment and smirked. "I forgot how much I love kissing you."

"Aye," was all Alice could whisper in response.

"Are you two quite done yet?" Barbossa suddenly asked as he helped Lydia into the longboat. Alice rolled her eyes and let out a snort.

"Hey, if we all had to watch you kiss Lydia, then you can stand watching me kiss the father of my child," Alice said. Barbossa rolled his blues eyes at this and took a seat next to Lydia, who was blushing madly. Pintel and Ragetti pushed the longboat into the water and then jumped in. The row to the _Black Pearl_ was fairly silent. Barbossa had yet to let go of Lydia, as if he were afraid that they'd end up apart for another three years. Not that Lydia was really complaining. She did occasionally look off to her right, as if someone were there. She also kept looking at Tia Dalma almost hesitantly. It made sense; Lydia had yet to interact with Tia Dalma. Alice was the first one to start climbing up the side of the _Pearl_ as soon as they reached the ship. Gibbs was already on the ship and helped her get over the edge of the rail as well as he could. Lydia immediately followed Alice and smiled the moment she set foot on the deck.

"It's so different, seeing people on this ship that aren't Jack and Thetis," Lydia said. Alice furrowed her brow in confusion.

"Who's Thetis?" Alice asked. Lydia opened her mouth and then bit her lower lip.

"Um… it's a long story," Lydia said almost sheepishly. Barbossa was the next to climb over the rail. Alice immediately took the charts off of her back and handed them to Barbossa. He gave her a single curt nod, walked up to Lydia, and gave her a brief peck on the cheek.

"Trim that sail!" Barbossa called out.

"Trim that sail!" Jack shouted as he climbed over the rail. Alice looked at Lydia and immediately sighed. Not even ten minutes on that ship and the rivalry was already beginning.

"Slack windward brace and sheets!" Barbossa shouted.

"Slack windward brace and sheets!" Jack echoed.

"Haul that pallet line!" Barbossa ordered.

"Haul that pallet line!" Jack echoed again. Barbossa let out a groan and glared at Jack.

"What _are_ you doing?"

"What are _you_ doing?"

"No," Barbossa snapped. "What _are_ you doing?"

"What are _you_ doing?" Jack asked.

"Is this really happening right now?" Lydia whispered to Alice.

"Apparently," Alice muttered back. "Can you do me a favor, sis?"

"Depends on the favor?" Lydia asked.

"Maybe summon up so ocean water and drop it on top of those two idiots?" Alice asked. Lydia shrugged raised both of her wrists.

"I'm pretty rusty, but I'll try," she said. She looked out into the water and closed her eyes. She looked like she was straining slightly as she focused on lifting the water. Alice could see that Lydia was right; she wasn't as in tune with the water as she usually was.

"No, what _are_ you doing?" Barbossa screamed.

"What are _you_ doing?" Jack let out a grumble and then said, "Captain gives orders on the ship!"

"The Captain of the ship _is_ giving orders!" Barbossa snapped. Lydia had managed to lift two coconut sized orbs of water out of the sea. They hovered above the deck as Lydia aimed for the tops of both Jack's and Barbossa's heads.

"My ship, makes me Captain!"

"They be my charts!"

"That makes you… chart man!" Lydia flicked both of her wrists and both orbs of seawater came crashing down on the two men. They both jumped backwards and looked up at the sky. They then looked around the deck, trying to figure out where the water had come from and then both sets of eyes rested on Lydia, who was standing there with her arms crossed. Alice and Lydia both walked up to the two men, both looking rather displeased with them.

"Now that we have your attention," Alice said. "You two and me and Lyddie and Gibbs are all going to go to the Captain's cabin, where all five of us will have a _civil_ conversation regarding Captaincy. You two clearly can't be trusted to do it on your own. Do I make myself clear?"

"Aye…" both men grumbled.

"Mr. Gibbs!" Lydia called out, "Care to join us?" Gibbs nodded his head and walked towards the Captain's cabin. He held the door open as Lydia walked in. Barbossa and Jack were next to enter, both trying to shove each other out of the way. Alice rolled her eyes as she followed behind them, holding a hand to her stomach and mentally praying that her child didn't inherit too much of Jack's personality. Alice heard Gibbs shut the door behind him as she marched up to Jack's desk and grabbed the nearest piece of parchment and the remains of a pen that she hoped stilled worked. Lydia was already seated on one of the chairs in the room, her arms and legs both crossed. Barbossa was standing next to Lydia and leaning against the wall. Jack was sitting lazily at the desk, both of his feet propped up on the table. Alice rolled her eyes and pushed his legs off of the table and set the parchment down.

"Alright," Alice said. "Here's what's going to happen. You two are going to share Captaincy."

"But-"

"Don't interrupt me," Alice snapped. "Or Lydia will bring in more water through that gaping hole." Alice pointed to the large, large hole in the back of the cabin. She grimaced at the sight of it, mentally noting that they'd need to fix it the moment they got to Shipwreck Cove. Barbossa turned to Lydia with an incredulous look. She merely shrugged, as if saying, 'maybe I will, maybe I won't.' "Lydia? Do you have ideas?"

"Split the ship in half," she said. "Figuratively speaking. Jack's Captain of one half, Hector's Captain of the other. Divide it up port and starboard, perhaps?"

"Aye, that would work," Gibbs said. "They'd each get half the helm, half the crow's nest, half the deck…"

"It's even and it could work," Alice said. "But who gets what side? Do either of you have a preference?"

"Whatever side he wants, I want," Jack said. Alice narrowed her eyes at Jack and sighed. Of course he was acting like this…

"Barbossa gets starboard, Jack gets port," Alice said. "Any complaints?" She didn't even let either of them speak before saying, "No? Good. Moving on." Lydia and Gibbs both nodded at Alice and she began to write down that portion of the Captaincy Agreement, as she had titled the document.

"Really, shrimp?" Barbossa asked. "We're grown men."

"You two are acting like children, though," Lydia pointed out. "I'm still hardly sane right now and I can see that." Barbossa looked down at Lydia, almost hurt by her words. He wasn't really hurt, though. Alice could tell just by looking at him.

"What about this cabin?" Jack asked. "Which one of us gets us?"

"Neither of us, you bleeding idiot," Barbossa snapped. "Alice gets the cabin. She's pregnant. She needs the bed more than either of us." Alice widened her eyes for a moment and looked around the room. "Whether or not you stay here is entirely up to her."

"I second that," Lydia said.

"Aye," Gibbs said.

"Okay then," Alice said as she wrote down that portion. "I do actually want Jack to stay with me because… reasons. Personal reasons." Jack smirked over in Barbossa's direction. Barbossa let out a scoff and rolled his eyes somewhat dramatically. "What? It's been a while." Alice cleared her throat in an attempt to move on from the subject. "So Lydia, you can probably still sleep in that one storage room if you really want to sleep in the same room as Elizabeth."

"I actually don't," Lydia said.

"Alright," Alice said. "So you could probably set up a hammock in the bottom storage room, where we keep the rum."

"Actually," Lydia started. "I was going to request the brig." Alice arched an eyebrow at this unusual request. "Think about it, I'd be right there and I could easily bilge out the water."

"Are you sure?" Alice asked.

"Yes," Lydia said, nodding her head. "I'd rather be surrounded by the water. It's… it's been too long since I've been near it."

"Alright then," Alice said. "You and Thetis enjoy."

"Thetis?" Barbossa asked. "Who's Thetis?" Lydia sighed and glared at Alice.

"Apparently, Nereids are two souls in one body," Lydia explained. "Thetis is the other soul." She paused for a moment and glanced over to her left. "She says hi, by the way." Barbossa looked past Lydia, trying to see Thetis. Not that he could. It didn't seem like any of them could, save for Lydia.

"I would prefer to set up my hammock in the brig as well," Barbossa said. "I don't really care to sleep with the rest of the crew, nor do I really want Lydia to be alone. That is, if you'll allow me to?"

"Of course," Lydia said with a faint smile.

"So we have me and Jack in the Captain's cabin, Barbossa and Lydia in the brig," Alice said. "Any other addendums?"

"I keep the charts, Jack keeps his compass," Barbossa said. "Gibbs remains as Jack's First Mate. I want Alice as my First Mate though. She's already essentially been acting as my first mate and I see no reason for that to stop." Jack dropped his jaw and looked between the two, pointing his finger at both of them.

"Since when have you two been friends?" he sputtered.

"Since you died and he came back from the dead," Alice said. "I accept the position as First Mate of the starboard side. Anything else?" Everyone in the room shook their heads. She scribbled that down on the paper and looked at her handiwork. _"Jack Sparrow will be Captain of the Port side while Hector Barbossa will be Captain of the Starboard side. The Captain's cabin will go to Alice Swann due to pregnancy, who will allow Jack Sparrow to stay in there with her. Lydia Swann and Hector Barbossa will stay in the brig, where Lydia can use her Nereid powers to bilge water. Jack Sparrow will keep control over his compass while Hector Barbossa will keep control over the charts. Joshamee Gibbs will maintain his position of First Mate on the Port side while Alice Swann will be made First Mate of the Starboard side,"_ she said. "All sound fair?"

"Aye," Barbossa said.

"Aye," Jack said with a scowl. It was very clear that he didn't want to have to compromise the _Pearl_ with Barbossa, but he'd just have to deal with it for now. Alice signed her name on the bottom of the parchment and then handed the pen off to Jack. He signed his name as well. Barbossa walked up to the table and also signed. Gibbs was the next to take the pen and sign. Lydia got up last, writing her name in very neat cursive. She always did have the best penmanship out of all the Swann sisters.

"I'll nail this up on the deck," Alice said as she took the paper off the table. "You're all free to go." Jack and Barbossa both ran straight out of the cabin. Lydia let out an exasperated sigh and jogged out to the deck. Alice walked out onto the deck and watched as both Jack and Barbossa shuffled up the stairs to the helm, trying to push each other out of the way. Barbossa pulled out his spyglass and extended it to its full length as he looked out into the seas of the Locker. Jack smirked and then extended his own spyglass, which was considerably smaller. Jack frowned as he tried to extend the tiny spyglass out more, getting more frustrated as it grew more apparent that it wouldn't. Barbossa lowered his spyglass for a second and smirked at Jack. Alice rolled her eyes and looked over at Lydia. "Men," was all she said.

"You're forgetting one crucial detail," Lydia said.

"What?" Alice asked.

"We chose them," Lydia said simply. "Thetis is choosing right now to remind me of that fact very fervently." She turned around and descended below the deck, most likely to set up her hammock in the brig. Alice looked up at Jack, who was sulking on the helm and let out a snort. Lydia was right… those two may have been idiots, but she and Lydia were the idiots that chose to love them.


	58. At World's End: Chapter 7

Alice descended below the deck, intent on figuring out how much supplies they actually had. Not to mention she didn’t particularly want to watch the inevitably dick-measuring contest between the love of her life and one of her best friends. The moment she went below, however, she encountered the last person she wanted to see on this ship: Elizabeth. Alice let out a low growl and turned around. If it was between Barbossa and Jack’s testosterone-fueled feuds and dealing with her homicidal sister, she was going with the testosterone-fueled feuds.

“Alice, wait,” Elizabeth called out. “Can we please talk?”

“There’s nothing to talk about,” Alice snapped as she kept walking onto the deck. She heard footsteps behind her and immediately knew Elizabeth was following her. She rolled her eyes and shook her head. “I’ll legitimately punch you in the face if you take another step, Elizabeth.”

“Alice…” Elizabeth said again, this time touching Alice’s shoulder. Alice spun around and immediately let her fist connect to Elizabeth’s jaw, creating a loud, loud thump. The entirety of the crew turned to look at the two feuding sisters. Elizabeth recoiled, holding her jaw with her hand.

“Don’t touch me,” Alice snapped. “You killed Jack. You lied to me about what you did, pretended as if you felt sorry for me-“

“I did feel sorry for you,” Elizabeth said. “But I had no choice. Jack needed-”

“Bullshit,” Alice hissed. “That’s absolute bullshit and you know it.” Alice took one step closer to Elizabeth, her brown eyes locked in the sharpest glare Alice had ever created. “I’m going to make myself absolutely clear. For the rest of this journey, I don’t want to see or hear you. Don’t talk to me, don’t touch me, and don’t even think about looking at me. I’ll deal with you until we kill Beckett and his men and then I never want to see your face for the rest of my life. Am I clear?” Elizabeth tensed her jaw and winced.

“Clear as mud,” Elizabeth whispered. She turned around and descended below the deck once more. Alice took a slow breath and looked around at the awestruck crew. On the helm, Jack and Barbossa were both staring at her rather intently. Barbossa gave Alice a single nod and then turned to the rest of the crew.

“Back to work, you poxy rats or I’ll keelhaul the lot of you!” Barbossa shouted. The crew immediately went back to work, not wanting to risk the wrath of Barbossa. Alice rushed into the Captain’s cabin as fast as she could, just wanting to get off the deck and away from the lingering gazes of the crew. She took a deep breath and let tears begin to flow from her eyes the moment she shut the cabin door.  How could this have possibly happened? Alice had always been closer to Elizabeth than Lydia or Kitty. Always. Not in a million years could Alice have ever imagined this level of betrayal from Elizabeth. Over these past months, yes, Elizabeth had been distant, but she was there for Alice during this pregnancy. How many times had she looked Alice in the eye and said that she was sorry? How many times did Alice never seem to catch on to what Elizabeth was really apologizing for? She was never sorry that Alice was without Jack. She was sorry for killing him and then lying to everyone’s face on the matter.

Alice heard a knock on the door and quickly wiped away her tears as fast as she possibly could. “Who is it?” she asked, trying to hide the crack in her voice.

“Me,” Jack’s voice said from the other side. He opened the door and stepped inside, shutting it behind him. Alice let out a smile and leaned against the side of the cabin. “This is the one time I’m letting Barbossa take the helm without me.” Alice let out a small laugh and shook her head. Jack would never change… “What’s the matter, love?”

“I’m fairly certain the entirety of the crew knows what’s wrong, Jack,” Alice said with a snort. “Elizabeth’s probably feeling it too. I’m going to be upset if her jaw isn’t bruising in the morning.” Jack let out a scoff and smirked.

“Given that she killed me…” Jack said.

“I don’t…” Alice took a deep breath, trying to hold back the tears again. No. She refused to cry in front of Jack. “I don’t want to talk about that or her or death.” Jack strolled over to the bed and took a seat on its edge. He tapped the spot next to him and motioned for her to join him. Alice walked over next to Jack and sat down slowly, trying not to go too far forward or backwards due to the size of her stomach. Jack looked down at it, his eyes wide as he slowly got used to the sight of his sudden-very-pregnant lover. “Aye, I know,” Alice said. “It’s probably strange for you. Me suddenly about to pop out a baby in two months…” Jack suddenly starting smiling possibly the most ridiculous smile she’d ever seen him smile. She furrowed her brow in confusion at Jack’s out-of-character expression. “Jack…?”

“Sorry, love, but it just hit me,” Jack said. “You’re pregnant!”

“We’ve established this, Jack,” Alice said slowly.

“You’re pregnant!” he repeated. Alice nodded her head.

“Aye,” she said. He suddenly hugged her tightly and Alice tensed up. What was going on with him?

“You’re having my kid!” he very nearly shouted. “We’re having a baby!” Alice started smiling as he held her tightly. It was finally coming to him.

“Aye,” she laughed. He pulled back from the hug and looked down at Alice’s stomach and beamed.

“You’re huge!” he exclaimed.

“Well, yeah,” Alice said, unable to stop her smile. Jack smiled and almost hesitantly placed his hand on her stomach. At that moment, the baby decided that it wanted to give a hard kick. Jack widened his eyes and looked up at Alice. “I guess the spawn knows who its father is.”

“Aye,” Jack breathed out. Suddenly he frowned and grimaced. “I’m going to be a terrible father.”

“I’m going to be a terrible mother,” Alice said with a shrug. “But we’ll learn. We’ll wing it and figure it out like we do with pretty much everything. No pirate can improvise better than you.” Jack let smile and nodded.

“So I know you have names in your head,” Jack said.

“One in particular,” Alice said.

“Jack Sparrow Jr.?”  Jack suggested. Alice pursed her lips and lightly hit Jack on the chest.

“I’m not stupid enough to name our kid after such an idiot,” Alice said. Jack scoffed in mock offense and rolled his eyes. “No. Connor.”

“And for a girl?” Jack asked.

“Connor,” Alice answered matter-of-factly. Jack shook his head and laughed at Alice’s antics.

“Well, I like it,” Jack said. He looked down at Alice’s swollen belly and said, “I can’t wait to meet you Connor Sparrow. Just know that I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing whilst parenting your tiny face. And you will be tiny, given your mum’s pathetic height.”

“Oh my god, Jack,” Alice groaned. He was seriously bringing up the height thing now? Was she ever going to live that down? Probably not, unless she somehow grew a few more inches upwards. Suddenly, she felt a hand under her chin and her gaze was tilted up. Jack kissed her and Alice was more than willing to give into it. This kiss was much more intense than the one he'd given her on land. This was him finally, truly realizing that he was back with Alice and that she was really carrying his child. Alice weaved her fingers into Jack's dreadlocks, pulling him closer to her. Well, as close as he could get with a gigantic stomach in the way. Jack pulled away for a second and then locked eyes with Alice.

"I haven't told you in a very long time that I love you," Jack said.

"I know," Alice replied with a smile. “We’ve never been the most romantic of duos.” Jack merely smirked and curled his mustaches upwards. Alice burst into laughter and fell backwards against the bed. She immediately felt the pressure of the baby inside of her, but she couldn’t stop laughing at Jack’s antics.

“Well then, perhaps we should be a little _more_ romantic,” Jack whispered suggestively. He paused for a minute and furrowed his brow. “You can… you know… while pregnant, right?”

“Based on what Tia Dalma’s said, yes,” Alice replied with a smirk.

“Then let’s,” Jack said. He bent down and kissed her, and Alice made absolutely no objections to anything he did during the next few hours.

* * *

 

Lydia felt an indescribable rush of relief the moment she stepped into the brig and smelled the briny water. She immediately took off her boots and tossed them to the side. She wanted to actually be able to _feel_ the water on her toes. She wanted to see those swirling markings come to life for the first time since she’d gotten sent to the Locker. “Ready?” Thetis asked as she appeared next Lydia. Lydia let out a small smile and nodded.  She stepped into the shallow pools of water in the brig and immediately felt the rush of energy flow through her veins. She looked down and saw her markings on her feet swirl to life.

“It feels so good to touch the sea again,” Lydia said. “Even if it’s not the sea of the living.”

“Trust me, I know how you feel,” Thetis said with a large smile. “It’s like finally feeling alive again.” Lydia nodded and walked further into the brig. She looked at the cells on either side of her and figured that it would be best to tie up her hammock between the two cells. The metal would provide some good support and she wouldn’t have to attempt to fasten the ropes of the hammock to beams high above her reach. She stepped through the water, savoring the gentle lapping of it between her toes and on the tops of her feet. Now she just had to figure out how to tie up this damned hammock…

Lydia took a deep breath and then grabbed one of the rope ends and slid it into one of the small metal squares. “This is going to be entertaining,” Thetis said, leaning against the wall. Lydia let out a growl as she attempted to tighten the very poor knot she was tying. She manipulated the rope into something that resembled a knot, but still didn’t look right. She tugged on the rope, let out grunts as the rope rubbed against the palms of her hands.  She looked at the pathetic knot she tied, hoping it would at least stay. Sadly, the knot completely unraveled and fell off the bars a few seconds later. Behind her she heard a deep chuckle. She turned around and saw Barbossa standing at the top of the stairs.

“You need some help there?” he asked.

“Possibly,” Lydia answered. Barbossa let out an overdramatic sigh and chuckled again.

“Well, I suppose I have the time,” Barbossa said.

“I assume Jack is manning the helm then?” Lydia asked as Barbossa made his way down the steps. He shook his head and Lydia furrowed her brow. “Then who?”

“Cotton and Gibbs,” Barbossa said. “Based on what everyone on deck was hearing, Jack’s a bit preoccupied with Alice.” Lydia thought for a moment, trying to figure out the meaning behind his words. Suddenly it hit her and she widened her eyes.

“I don’t need that mental image,” both she and Thetis said at the same time.

“Neither do I,” Barbossa said as he took the ends of the hammock from Lydia. She peered over in the corner to see Thetis wink at Lydia and turn around. At least she was trying to give the two of them a little privacy. “You see why I came down below.”

“So it’s not because you missed me?” Lydia questioned with a faint smirk.

“That might have contributed a little,” Barbossa said with a small smile. He wrapped the rope through the squares a few times and then crafted the proper knotting in a way that only an expert could create. He pulled it tight and it immediately slid into place. He tugged on the end of the hammock once and turned to Lydia with a smirk. She rolled her eyes at him. That show off… “Can have the other end?”

“Show off,” Lydia said as she handed over the hammock.

“I bound your wrists more than once when we first met,” Barbossa said. “You of all people should know how good I am at tying knots.” Lydia opened her mouth to argue with him, but found that she didn’t have a good counterargument. Looking back, he really did have a very valid point. He turned around and immediately went to work on the second end of the hammock. She leaned against the cell with her arms crossed, watching as he tied the second knot. She heard a wolf whistle from the other side of the room. Lydia shot a glare over in Thetis’ direction. The Nereid merely shrugged and turned around again.  She rolled her eyes and turned back to Barbossa, who was now staring at her with one arched eyebrow.

“I assume Thetis,” he said.

“You assume correct,” Lydia said. “Apparently I’m not the only one of us attracted to you.” Barbossa let out a snicker and took a step closer to Lydia.

“Well, let her know that I’m not interested in her,” Barbossa said.

“Noted,” Thetis called out, still facing away from the couple. Lydia let out a ghost of a laugh at this.

“She acknowledges that,” Lydia said.

“Good,” Barbossa said, resting his large hands on her waist. “Because I’m very happy with the Nereid I do have.”

“Good,” Lydia said, her eyes darting to his lips. A moment later, Barbossa was kissing her. Lydia smiled into the kiss and rested her arms on his shoulders, wanting to feel him closer to her. Just the realness and aliveness of him was exhilarating to experience. He still tasted of those green apples he was so fond of. All too soon, he pulled away and rested his forehead on hers.

“I’m never going to get tired of kissing you,” he whispered.

“You might one day,” Lydia said. Barbossa shook his head.

“Nay,” he responded. “I doubt it. I still wish I could’ve felt that first kiss we shared.” Lydia felt her face grow hotter and she knew that she was, without a doubt, blushing wildly. It was actually a little embarrassing for her; to be reduced to a blushing girl like this. Yet part of her didn’t mind it.

“So,” Lydia said. “When did you and Alice start getting along?” Barbossa took a step away from Lydia and leaned on the cell next to her.

“Actually, she was the first person that was willing to talk to me at all,” Barbossa said. “After that it was just easy for us to talk and suddenly she was like a sister to me.” He looked down and frowned. “We were both in nearly identical situations. Obviously the major difference is that I wasn’t carrying a child, but…” Lydia let out a laugh at this and Barbossa let out a scoff. “But we both understood better than anyone else on the crew what we were going through. I think it helped both of us stay sane.”

“I wish I had that luxury,” Lydia said almost bitterly. “I’m only now starting to feel as if my sanity is returning. And even then…” Her eyes darted over to Thetis for a moment and then back to Barbossa. He turned his head and looked in Thetis’ direction. Lydia knew that he couldn’t see her; his gaze was going past her rather than at her. Thetis rolled her eyes and let out a huff, knowing exactly what Lydia was thinking.

“With only her and Jack as company, I’d say you’re fairly well,” Barbossa said. “I won’t pry, but if you need to talk about the Locker-”

“I will when I’m ready,” Lydia said. “Right now I’d rather forget the entire experience never happened. In fact, if we could pretend the past three years never happened...” Barbossa nodded and took her hand in his own. He lifted it and pressed a kiss to the back of her hand.

“I won’t mention it until you do,” he said. He let go of her hand. “I should grab me own hammock. Hopefully Jack and Alice have calmed down by now.” Lydia let out scoff. Barbossa walked back to the stairs and made his way above. Lydia smiled to herself and touched her lips gently. She wondered whether this feeling of being cared for would ever go away.

“He loves you,” Thetis said as she turned around. “Don’t ever let him get away again.”

“I don’t plan on it,” Lydia replied. She shook her head at herself. God, she was acting like a lovestruck teenager… She looked at the pools of water by her feet and decided that she might as well begin her duties bilging water. She took a breath and focused on the water, lifting it slowly and funneling it through a small porthole. It was strange, feeling the water through her entire body again. Yet part of her felt strained. It made perfect sense; manipulating the water was like exercising a muscle… a muscle that had long been neglected. Hopefully she could build up some of her strength before returning the land of the living. She had plenty of water to work it, after all.

* * *

 

Jones had invited Kitty to play his organ almost every day for the last week. He even bothered to teach her a few of the mechanics behind playing the organ. It was strange for her… Kitty knew not to go as far as to say that she and Jones were forming a friendship. They tolerated each other and bonded over their mutual desire for Kitty to not be on the _Dutchman._ They very rarely talked… every one of their conversations was through the music of the organ. He always played the same melody over and over again, but Kitty’s melodies varied depending on her mood. She usually ended up playing something by either Bach or Handel. Other days she would just experiment around with the organ and improvise melodies that had no clear reasoning behind them. Yet Jones almost always seemed to know exactly what she was feeling by the melodies she played.

At the moment, she was sitting alone in Jones’ cabin. She didn’t dare play his organ when he wasn’t in the cabin. She wasn’t about to risk receiving the ugly side of his wrath over something as trivial as playing his organ without his permission.  She heard the door creak open and she turned her head, expecting to see Jones enter. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw that it wasn’t the octopus-esque Captain, but rather her own husband. “James,” she breathed.

“Katherine,” he whispered as he ran up to her. He pressed a quick kiss to her lips and held her arms. “I know I’m risking a lot by coming here, but I had to see you. I had to know that you were alright.”

“I’m fine, James,” Kitty said. She looked down at her stomach and added, “We both are.”

“I only have a few moments,” James said. “But I just needed to tell you that I love you and I _will_ get you off this ship as soon as I possibly can. Lord Beckett shouldn’t be using you like this.”

“I agree,” Kitty snorted. “I trust you, James. I know you’re doing everything in your power. But you need to go. If anyone knew you were down here-“

“I know,” James said. He gave her one last lingering kiss before letting go of his wife and disappearing from the cabin, resuming his duties as Admiral Norrington. Kitty closed her eyes and felt her small tears begin to pool in the corners of her eyes. Soon… soon Beckett would have to send her back to Port Royal. Once she was later into her pregnancy, she knew he’d be less willing to risk the life of her unborn child. Everything he did was based on strategy. Even he could see the benefit in letting Kitty have her second child in peace. Hopefully…


	59. At World's End: Chapter 8

Barbossa stood in the Captain’s cabin later that night. He needed a heading and only Jack could really provide that, as much has he loathed to admit it. To his luck, both Jack and Alice were fully clothed when he knocked on the door. Alice was apparently attempting to sleep, nestled in the few blankets they had on the one bed on the ship. Jack was sitting lazily at the deck. Barbossa’s monkey ran in screeching loudly and grabbed Jack’s hat from the floor. Jack plucked it up from the monkey as he jumped onto his familiar perch. It almost surprised Barbossa to see that it was still there. Then again, based on what Alice said about them keeping the monkey…

Then, of course, there was the massive, gaping hole in the rear of the cabin. Barbossa pursed his lips at the sight. “I see you’ve neglected to properly take care of me ship.”

“What this?” Jack asked, pointed at the hole. “She’s ventilating. Clear out the stench of the previous occupant.” Barbossa let out a bitter scoff at Jack. He started fanning himself with his own hat as he looked around the candlelit cabin. “Thinking of putting in French doors, actually. I like a bit of cross breeze.” Barbossa let out a low growl. Alice stuck one arm up almost lazily and pointed at both of them.

“You two. No fighting. At least not where I can hear it,” she mumbled. She dropped her arm and wrapped the tops of the blankets over her head, as if attempting to block out them and the light. Then Gibbs entered the cabin and looked between the two Captains.

“Heading, Cap’n?” he asked.

“Two degrees starboard,” Jack said. Barbossa shot a glare at Jack and tensed his jaw.

“I’m Captain of the starboard side,” he snapped. Sure, he was only technically Captain of half the _Black Pearl_ , but damn it, he wasn’t going to let Sparrow captain Barbossa’s side of the ship. He turned to Gibbs and calmly ordered, “Two degrees starboard.” He turned to Jack and said, “The Captain will now take the helm.”  Jack immediately shuffled out from behind the desk and made a break for the cabin door. Barbossa pursed his lips and ran out in front of him. There wasn’t a chance that Barbossa would let Jack take the helm that night. Especially when they were going starboard bound.

“Aye, Cap’ns,” Gibbs shouted as he stumbled out behind the two. Barbossa ran out as fast as he possibly could, grabbing the rail of the stairs to the helm so that he could pivot faster. Barbossa was the first to reach the wheel and stood on the starboard side of it. Jack appeared a few moments later, standing on the port side. Mr. Cotton and his parrot had been practically pushed away from the wheel, not that Barbossa particularly cared for the feelings of the mute man and his bird. Barbossa took the handle closest to him and moved it down, altering their course the two degree they needed to go.

Jack, however, had another idea.

The other Captain took the handle on his own side and altered the course of the ship again. Barbossa arched an eyebrow at Jack and then rolled his eyes. That idiot… Barbossa grabbed the handle again and turned the wheel, this time leaving his hand firmly wrapped around the handle. He wasn’t about to let Jack change their course for the sake of his pride. Granted, Barbossa’s own pride was on the line now, but he’d never admit to it. Jack grabbed the handle closest to him and started to pull. Barbossa resisted, not about to let Sparrow turn the wheel again. Both men struggled against the other. Jack added a hand to the handle below him while Barbossa simply tensed his muscles and leaned into the wheel.  Jack began to do the same and the wheel started to turn ever so slightly. Barbossa whipped around and grabbed the handle above the one he was currently holding onto and pulled as hard as he possibly could. Jack wrapped his arm around the handle and leaned the entirety of his bodyweight onto the wheel. Barbossa brought his leg up onto the axel, which was a mistake in hindsight. Jack gave the wheel a sharp tug and one of the handles slammed clean into his groin. He let out a grunt as the pain hit him. He brought his hand down to protect his family jewels and he tugged on the wheel once more.

“Having fun, you two?”

Both Jack and Barbossa froze and snapped their heads to the deck and saw Lydia standing there, her arms crossed and a single dark eyebrow raised. “I came up to see if you needed any help with gaining speed, but clearly you two are a bit preoccupied.” Both Jack and Barbossa exchanged glances with each other and then looked back to Lydia.

“He started it,” both men said at the same time.

“And apparently I have end it,” Lydia said. “Or should I wake up Alice?”

“NO!” the both shouted. Barbossa looked down at the cabin where Alice was currently resting. She may not be the tallest of lasses, but she was certainly fearsome when she needed to be. He’d seen her tear men a new one when they’d tried to cheat her on any coin she earned from gambling on cards.

“All right,” Lydia said. “Um… well… it doesn’t seem like either of you need my help, so I suppose I’ll go below again. Good night.” She scurried to the steps and descended below the deck. Barbossa stepped away from the wheel, but paused. He looked back out to the darkened sky, knowing that he needed to stay up for a while longer to ensure Jack didn’t change the wheel again. As much as he’d love to be below deck with Lydia, he still had a job to do. A job he wasn’t about to let Sparrow screw up.

* * *

 

Sleep only came to Lydia for a few hours at most. Any time she managed to finally close her eyes, some horrific memory or another woke her. She knew that at any point in time she could have gone up to the deck and gotten Hector, but part of her didn’t want to burden him with her own issues. She finally got out of the hammock and made her way above. She clearly wasn’t going to get a full night’s rest until they returned to the land of the living. “Still up?” Lydia looked behind her and saw Thetis standing there. “I did what I could to try and block your dreams, but…”

“I understand,” Lydia said. She climbed up the creaky wooden steps and found herself on deck. Both Jack and Barbossa were still at the helm, though they seemed to be cooperating a lot more efficiently now than when she saw their childish wheel-fight. When her gaze met Barbossa, he smiled and nodded in her direction. Alice was just then emerging from the Captain’s cabin as well, rubbing her eyes and letting out a yawn. It appeared that Lydia wasn’t the only one struggling to sleep that night.

Pintel and Ragetti suddenly scurried across her line of sight, each chuckling and carrying a cannonball. Lydia rolled her eyes and followed the two, trying to see what they were up to. She walked up steps to the bow, where both Pintel and Ragetti dropped the cannonballs upon seeing the woman that Lydia assumed was Tia Dalma. She’d never actually spoken to the woman yet. She only knew that she was the one who provided Jack with the jar of dirt before the Kraken attack. “Be disrespectful, it would?” Lydia stepped closer to Tia Dalma, narrowing her eyes at the woman. There was something about her… something about her that was familiar. Something about her that almost called to her; incited a sense of protectiveness. Thetis took a few steps ahead of Lydia, inspecting Tia Dalma more closely.

“Dey should be in da care of Davy Jones,” she said bitterly. Lydia walked up to the bow and looked over the edge. She gasped at the sight she saw. Below her, in the water, were hundreds upon thousands of ghostly souls, drifting aimlessly in the water. “Dat was the duty him was charged with by da goddess, Calypso.” The name immediately sent a chill through Lydia. A strange feeling of loyalty suddenly filled her. It made sense, though. Calypso was essential the mother to all the Nereids. “To ferry dem who dies at sea to da other side. And every ten years he could come ashore to be with she who love him, truly. But da man has become a monster.”

“So he wasn’t always tentacley?” Ragetti asked, making a motion with his hand to mimic Jones’ beard of tentacles.

“No,” Tia Dalma said, her voice tinged with melancholy. “Him was a man… once.” Suddenly, Lydia gasped. Thetis turned around to Lydia, looking almost afraid.

“Lydia,” Thetis whispered. “Tia Dalma is Calypso.”

“I know,” she whispered back. All three turned to look at her. Pintel and Ragetti both seemed confused at her sudden words, but behind Tia Dalma’s eyes there was a sense of… knowing. As if she understood completely that Lydia had figured out her true identity within minutes of actually meeting her. “Sorry…” Lydia said. “Residual delusions. Ignore me.” Tia Dalma let out a small smile and nodded once at Lydia…. and then towards Thetis. Thetis dropped her jaw and backed away.

“Um… hi, mother,” Thetis sputtered. It was actually somewhat comical to see Thetis this scared of one woman. Lydia turned around and descended down the steps of the bow.

“Now there’s boats coming,” Ragetti said. Lydia looked over the rail and indeed saw people in longboats with a single lantern on the end of them. The people inside them all stared blankly ahead, faces void of emotion. Gibbs walked past Lydia, loading a gun. She almost went to stop him, but Will beat her to it and took his gun from his hand.

“They’re not a threat to us,” Will said. “Am I right?”

“We are nothing but ghosts to dem,” Tia Dalma said.

“It’s best just let them be,” Barbossa said, coming down from the helm. Lydia watched these lost souls as their boats floated past them. How many of them had been doomed to search for the afterlife until Jones resumed his job? How long had many of those souls been there? When did the souls in the boats become the souls in the water?

“This isn’t how it’s supposed to be,” Thetis said, shaking her head. Lydia widened her eyes and gasped when a familiar figure floated near the _Pearl._ No… no it couldn’t be. She refused to believe it. It wasn’t possible. I couldn’t be possible. Lydia didn’t want to see who she was seeing in this realm.

“It’s my father,” Elizabeth breathed out. She smiled and looked at the crew. “We’ve made it back! Father! Father, here! Look here!” Alice came running up the rail and covered her mouth with her hands when she saw the face of their father. But she knew they weren’t back yet. So did Lydia. The two sisters looked at each other and immediately knew.

Their father was dead.

“Elizabeth,” Jack said almost softly. “We’re not back.” The realization finally dawned on Elizabeth and she shook her head.

“Father!” she shouted again. Alice went into Jack’s arms and gripped the rail so tightly, Lydia was sure it would splinter. She felt Barbossa’s arm settle itself around her waist. Governor Swann looked up at the ship finally and saw them.

“Elizabeth,” he said. “Lydia. Alice… are you all dead?”

“No,” Elizabeth whispered, shaking her head.

“I think I am,” Governor Swann said. Lydia felt a tear begin to fall down her face.

“No, you can’t be,” Elizabeth called out.

“There was this chest, you see,” Governor Swann said, staring into the lantern on his boat. “And a heart. At the time it seemed so important.”

“Come aboard!” Elizabeth screamed.

“I learned that if you stab the heart, yours must take its place. Sail the seas for eternity. The Dutchman must always have a captain. Silly thing to die for,” Governor Swann said.

“Father, you didn’t!” Alice shouted. Governor Swann looked at Alice and widened his eyes.

“Alice? Are you pregnant?” Alice had tears streaming down her face as she nodded.

“Aye,” she said. “I’m sorry, Father. I’m so so sorry. For being a brat for everything I did to disappoint you.”

“You’ve never truly disappointed me, Alice,” Governor Swann said with a soft smile. “Never.”

“Someone cast a line!” Elizabeth ordered. “Come back with us!” Elizabeth ran over to Marty, who grabbed a line of rope from behind him.

“Lydia,” Governor Swann said. It took every ounce of willpower that Lydia possessed to not burst into tears in that moment. This was the last time she’d ever hear her father’s voice. The last time she’d ever speak to him. “Is that him? Is that Barbossa?” Lydia looked over to Barbossa and nodded.

“Yes,” she forced herself to say.

“Take care of her,” Governor Swann told him. “Don’t hurt her as Beckett did.”

“I’d ne’er dream of it,” Barbossa said. Her father nodded and turned his attention back to Lydia.

“Take care of your sisters, Lydia,” Governor Swann said.

“I always have,” Lydia croaked out. She was trying so hard not to cry. She was trying so hard to stay strong for both Elizabeth and Alice. Elizabeth threw the line out into the water, near their father’s boat.

“Take the line!” she shouted.

“Girls, I’m so proud of you,” Governor Swann said. “All of you.”

“Father, the line,” Elizabeth urged. “Take the line!” She ran towards the stern, holding the line of rope.

“She must not leave the ship!” Tia Dalma shouted. Everyone rushed to the stern of the ship, Will faster than the rest. He grabbed Elizabeth, who was sobbing hysterically now and stopped her from almost jumping off the ship.

“I’ll give your love to your mother, shall I?” Governor Swann said. “Tell Kitty I love her and that I’m sorry.”

“Father, come back with us!” Elizabeth wailed. “I won’t leave you! Please don’t go!” Will pulled Elizabeth to him as she wept into his shoulder. Lydia took Alice and held her younger sister tightly as she sobbed. She felt Alice’s tears through her shirt. Lydia held back her own tears as much as she possibly could. She couldn’t afford to break down now; not when her sisters needed her to be their support right now.

“Is there a way?” Will asked. Tia Dalma shook her head slowly.

“Him at peace,” she said. Lydia shut her eyes tightly and held Alice closer to her. It was real… her father was really dead. Beckett killed him; Lydia was almost entirely certain of that. He was around the heart and Beckett saw him as a threat. That had to be why. He knew too much. She let go of her sister and stroked her hair.

“I need to be alone,” Lydia said abruptly. She rushed towards the steps that lead below the deck. She heard light footsteps behind her; footsteps that could have only belonged to Thetis. She knew better than to say anything right now. At least, Lydia hoped that she did. She made her way into the brig and immediately fell to her knees, finally able to let everything she was feeling out. Her pain, her sorrow, her fury… all of it emerged in the form a scream that she was fairly sure everyone on deck could hear. Around her, the water in the brig spiraled upwards and wove between each other, like an intricate net. Sobs wracked through her body, tears streamed down her face. Her eyes stung from her tears, she felt nausea fill her throat, and everything just felt like too much.

Lydia didn’t hear the set of footsteps rush down to the brig. She had no idea that anyone else had come down to the brig until she felt Barbossa’s arms wrap around her. He didn’t say anything to her. He didn’t need to. Lydia clung to him and let every single tear come out. “I’m going to kill him,” she rasped. “Beckett has taken my freedom, my sanity, and now my father.  The next time I see that man, I’m going to watch him drown at my hands.” Barbossa said nothing in response to this. Maybe he knew that saying nothing was better. Maybe he didn’t know what to say. The two stayed like that for many minutes, possibly hours, until Lydia slowly cried herself into a dreamless sleep.


	60. At World's End: Chapter 9

Alice woke up the next morning in her bed with Jack's arms wrapped around her. She ended up crying herself to sleep that night, Jack holding her and saying nothing for the entirety of that night. Part of her wondered if Elizabeth had done the same. Another, more sinister, part of her didn't care about how Elizabeth was dealing with the death of their father.  She still wasn't entirely sure of what part of her to listen to, in that regard. Perhaps speaking with Lydia would help. But not right now. Out of all of the Swann sisters, Lydia had been the closest to their father. Alice couldn't imagine how heartbroken she was right now. She almost didn't _want_ to imagine...

Alice untangled herself from Jack's arms and he started to stir. He let out a faint moan and slowly opened his eyes. "Leaving so soon, love?" he asked, his voice still low and groggy.

"I should go make sure my Captain is awake," Alice said with a faint smile.

"I'm working on it," Jack murmured. "Five more minutes."

"I meant Barbossa," Alice said as she slid her boots on. It was getting harder to get her feet to fit by the day because of how much they were starting to swell. "I'm his First Mate, remember?"Jack groaned loudly and crinkled his nose in disgust. Alice rolled her eyes at him and walked towards the door.

"Take the helm while you can, Captain Sparrow," Alice said with a smirk. She heard Jack start to scramble to his feet as she shut the doors behind her, chuckling to herself. She was definitely going to use that motivator for as long as Barbossa was aboard the Black Pearl. Maybe that would work as a motivator with Barbossa as well. Alice thought about it for a moment, then came to the conclusion that it definitely would. She walked across the deck, happy to already see some of the crew at work. It was rather warm for an early morning, but hopefully it wouldn't get too much worse.

Alice made her way to the steps and descended below the deck. She passed the crews' quarters, where Gibbs and some of the other men were sleeping soundly. "Oi! Wake up, you lot!" Alice shouted. The men immediately woke up with grunts of surprise. Ragetti actually fell out of his hammock and landed on the floor with a hard thud. Alice smirked at the sight as she went further below into the brig. She walked down all of two steps before stopping and smiling.

Lydia was curled up against Barbossa, her head resting on his shoulder. He was resting his chin on the top of her head and had one arm wrapped loosely around her waist. The other was holding Lydia's hand, their fingers intertwined. Lydia's other arm was draped across Barbossa's lap. Water was gently lapping against both of their legs, Lydia's markings only visible below the waterline. Both were very much asleep, oblivious to the noise above of the men readying themselves for the work to be done that day. She took one more step down and the wood emitted a loud _creak_. Barbossa's eyes flickered open and he looked up at Alice. "Sorry!" she whispered-shouted.

"I take it that I'm needed above soon?" Barbossa asked. Alice nodded and he let out a sigh.

"Jack's already getting up," Alice said. Barbossa pursed his lips and grimaced.

"Then I really don't have a choice in whether or not I get up," he said. He gently nudged Lydia with his shoulder and she started to stir. She let out a faint groan and buried her head further into his coat. He let out chuckle and nudged her again. "Come on, love."

"I didn't wake up at the crack of dawn for once in my life," Lydia murmured. "Please let me sleep."

" I  wish we could stay like this longer, but, alas, I don't have that luxury," Barbossa said. "C'mon." Lydia finally opened her eyes and let go of Barbossa's hand. He leaned towards her and pressed a kiss to the side of her head. Alice couldn't help but smile at the scene. There was a side to Barbossa that no one but Lydia (and sometimes Alice) ever saw. She knew months ago that Barbossa was a man that, when he actually cared about a person, would do everything in his power to ensure that that person was well taken care of. To finally see Lydia being cared for by someone was amazing for Alice. For her entire life, Lydia was always at the giving end of things, not so much receiving. Barbossa was the first to stand up and extended his hand to Lydia. She took it and rose to her feet, the water sloshing behind her. The backs of both of their pants was significantly darker and damper than the fronts, probably from sitting in a thin pool of water for the entirety of the night. He gave her a brief peck on her lips and her hands a short squeeze. "Come up to deck when you're ready."

"I might as well come up now," Lydia said. "I'm up, after all." Barbossa nodded and made his way up the stairs, gliding past Alice and her large stomach. Lydia looked up and finally seemed to notice Alice. "Morning, Alice."

"Morning, Lyddie," Alice said. "How are you holding up?" Lydia shrugged and looked down.

"As well as you could possibly imagine I'm doing," Lydia said. Alice nodded slowly and shut her eyes. She was holding back everything she was feeling. Every feeling of disappointing her father, of not being what he wanted her to be, of guilt for running away, and of regret for never appreciating him as she should have. "Do you need to talk?"

"I just..." Alice sighed and forced herself to hold back her tears. "I'm trying to not mourn until after we've done what we need to do." Lydia walked up the steps and met Alice in the middle, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I can't afford to have my mind anywhere else right now."

"I know how you feel," Lydia said. "I'm trying not to think about... never mind. Shall we go?"

"Aye," Alice said. It was clear that neither of them really wished to talk about seeing their father. Alice turned around and walked up the steps, Lydia following closely behind. When she reached the deck, the sun seemed a little hotter than it was before. Hopefully it wouldn't get too much worse.

* * *

 

Alice was very, very wrong.

The heat on deck had gotten much, much worse. Not even the occasional splashes of water that Lydia provided everyone with helped much at all. She could see the waves of heat radiating around her. By late in the day, it was assured that they were out of fresh water. Barbossa was studying the maps more intently than ever before, but was still no closer to figuring out how to escape.

"No water," Pintel rasped. "Why is all but the rum gone?"

"Rum's gone too," Gibbs said, dropping his flash.

"If we cannot escape these doldrums by nightfall, I fear we will sail trackless seas, doomed to roam the reach between worlds... forever," Tia Dalma said.

"With no water, forever seems to be arriving a mite too soon," Gibbs muttered as he walked up to both Tia Dalma and Will. Will stormed away and looked up at Barbossa. He was currently staring off into the waters. Alice knew he was trying to clear his head; trying to figure out some new angle to the map that he didn't consider before. Lydia was standing next to him, speaking too softly for Alice to hear. Maybe she was consoling him, maybe she was providing what input she could.

"Why doesn't he do something?" Will snapped.

"He's doing what he can," Alice said. "We can't expect more than that." The monkey squealed and ran across the deck.

"Me eye! Give it back!" Ragetti shouted as he chased the monkey.

"There's no sense to it," Gibbs told Will.

"And the green flash happens at sunset, not sunrise," Will mused.

"Over the edge," Gibbs said. Alice walked over to Jack, who was playing around with the charts, trying to figure them out. If Barbossa couldn't get it, then perhaps Jack and his alternative ways of thinking could. "It’s driving me over the blooming edge. Sunrises don’t set."

"Up is down," Jack said to himself. "Well that's just maddeningly unhelpful. Why are these things never clear?"

"Because treasure maps love ambiguity," Alice snorted.  Jack seemed to look down at his shoulders with a furrowed brow. Alice arched her eyebrow at the man. Was this some more of his Locker hallucinations?

"Come again?" he asked himself. Alice opened her mouth to speak, but decided against it. If he was hallucinating, she might as well let him talk it out on his own. "Well that's more than less than unhelpful... I love the sea... I prefer rum. Rum's good." She moved away from him, not wanting to really listen to him ramble to himself like a madman... not that he already wasn't mad to begin with. She walked up to the bridge and stood next to Lydia and Barbossa.

"...perhaps we should consider her idea," Lydia said.

"And I'm telling ye that I'm not particularly inclined to listen to someone that's possibly a hallucination," Barbossa replied.

"She can be touchy, yes, but she's never led me astray before," Lydia snapped. "You say you care for me. Why won't you trust my judgment on this?"She looked over to Alice, her face lined with a scowl.

"Because-" Barbossa paused and looked over at Alice. "Do you need something, shrimp?"

"No, I just, never mind," Alice stammered. She clearly appeared at the wrong possible time for them. It was clear that they were having an argument over something that they didn't want anyone else to hear. "I'll go. Sorry."

"No, Alice, stay," Lydia said. She turned back to face Barbossa with an annoyed glare. "Perhaps you can persuade him to listen to me."

"What's that!" Jack suddenly shouted. All three of them snapped their heads around to Jack as he pointed to something on the side of the ship and ran over the rail. Alice arched her brow at him and descended to the deck as fast she could. The baby moved around inside of her, as if it knew something was coming. "I don’t know, what _is_ that?" He turned to Alice and asked. "What do you think?" Alice shook her head and shrugged. She looked out into the water and into the distance but saw nothing of interest.

"Where?" she asked.

"There!" Jack shouted. He let out a squeal and ran to the other side of the ship. He let out a series of stuttering sounds and then darted back to the starboard side. Alice and the rest of the crew following him as he ran. What was he seeing? What was he doing? He had some sort of method to his madness going on and Alice was determined to figure out what it was.

* * *

 

Lydia looked at the map. _Sunrise sets flash of green,_ it read. There had to be something that they were missing. Thetis stood next to her, observing the map closely as well. "Maybe it's a riddle," Thetis said. "Sunrises don't set, just as sunsets don't rise. What if it's a reversal kind of situation? We have to make the sunrise set somehow?"

"How do you propose we do that?" Lydia asked her quietly. Barbossa looked up at her and narrowed his eyes. "Thetis," she said quickly. Barbossa nodded and looked back down at the map, studying it intently. Sweat was forming on his brow from the intense heat of the sun. Barbossa let out a groan, slammed his hands on the map, and then practically stormed to the bridge. This map was getting to him; anyone on this ship could tell.

"Perhaps we have to go backwards to go forward?" Thetis suggested. "Go under to go above?" That thinking clicked in Lydia's head. Maybe Thetis was onto something there. They couldn't go under the water themselves, but if the ship could somehow go under... perhaps that'd lead them to the other side? Lydia turned away from the map and made her way to the bridge. She walked up the stairs and stood next to Barbossa. He was staring out into the horizon, his arms crossed and face lined in a scowl.  

"Are you alright?" she asked him. He took a deep breath and shook his head. "The map?"

"Those damned charts are going to make me go insane," Barbossa muttered.

"You'll figure them out," Lydia said.

"In the next hour?" he asked. Lydia looked at the sun before them. Barbossa was right; they only had about an hour until the sun set and they were stuck there for all eternity. She bit her lower lip and looked over at Thetis. She motioned for her to talk him, more than likely about her own ideas for the maps.

"Thetis actually had an idea," Lydia said slowly.

"No offense to Thetis, but I'm still not even sure she's real," Barbossa snapped. Lydia recoiled a bit with his harshness. Thetis crossed her arms and pursed her lips at this.

"Lydia, can you tell that pompous fancy-hat wearing-"

"Even if she wasn't real, you shouldn't discount a perspective idea so quickly," Lydia said, interrupting Thetis.

"I'm not sure I trust any form of delusion associated with the Locker," Barbossa said. "It's designed to make you go insane. To make you suffer. And you want me to trust something that's potentially malignant?"

"I'm just saying that we should consider her idea," Lydia hissed. He rolled his eyes and looked down at Lydia.

"And I'm telling ye that I'm not particularly inclined to listen to someone that's possibly a hallucination," Barbossa replied.

"She can be touchy, yes, but she's never led me astray before," Lydia snapped. "You say you care for me. Why won't you trust my judgment on this?" Barbossa's expression faltered for a moment. Lydia looked out of the corner of her eye and saw Alice standing there, her eyes wide and jaw slightly agape.

"Because-" Barbossa started to say. His blue eyes looked over to Alice and he glared at her with clear annoyance. "Do you need something, shrimp?"

"No, I just, never mind," Alice stammered. "I'll go. Sorry."

"No, Alice, stay," Lydia said. She turned back to face Barbossa with an annoyed glare. "Perhaps you can persuade him to listen to me."

"What's that!" Jack suddenly shouted. All three of them suddenly snapped their heads towards Jack. Alice rushed down the steps towards him to see what he was up too.

"It's not that I don't trust you, Lyddie," Barbossa whispered. "It's that I don't trust her." He walked past her, down the steps to the main deck. Lydia let out a huff and followed him. Jack began to run from each side of the ship to the other. The crew followed him from side to side, trying to figure out what it was Jack was seeing. As the entire crew ran from side to side, the _Black Pearl_ began to rock. She saw Barbossa pick up Ragetti's wooden eye, which was rolling back and forth on the table where the charts lay. He stuck it in his mouth once, then shoved the piece of wood back into Ragetti's eye. Slightly disgusting, but apparently effective. Barbossa slapped Ragetti's face a few time as he blinked the eyeball back into place. He bent down over the charts and began to scan them closely.

"He's rocking the ship," Pintel said.

"We're rocking the ship!" Gibbs shouted. Lydia looked down at the charts and saw the phrase, _Up is Down._ Up is down... rising is setting... Thetis was right. Both Lydia and Barbossa saw the image of the upside down ship and they exchanged glances.

"Aye," Barbossa said. "He's onto it." He ran over to the steps below and shouted, "Time it with the swell! Lydia, can you make the swells larger?"

"I'm on it," Lydia said with a smirk.

"I'll help," Thetis said to her. "I have more experience with this, after all. Just follow what I do."

"Loose the cannons, you stinking bilge rats! Unstow the cargo, let it shift!" Barbossa hollered from below deck. Lydia breathed in sync with Thetis. Both women moved their arms in steady flow with the water. She felt the push and the pull of the swell through her own body. She knew that she and Thetis were succeeding; they were helping to rock the ship faster. A few moments later, Barbossa appeared back on deck and joined the rest of the crew as they ran from side to side, tilting the ship slowly.

"Lydia, go run with the others," Thetis said as the deck grew more vertical. "I can work the water."

"Right," Lydia said. She ran between Barbossa and Alice and gripped onto the rail as the ship tilted to a ninety-degree angle. Their feet began to dangle as the ship tipped further. Everyone let out yells as they felt that falling sensation inside of their guts. One of Tai Huang's men lost his grip and fell into the netting. A cannon fell on top of him and Lydia forced herself to look away before it made impact. Thetis suddenly appeared next to Lydia smirking as the ship began to fall.

"Now up is down," Jack said as the ship started to flip over. Lydia braced herself for the impact of the water as the ship finally fell towards the water. She wrapped her arm around the rail and shut her eyes tightly.

"Don't hold your breath," Thetis said with a smirk. "You'll be able to breathe. Trust me." Lydia had no time to ask what Thetis meant by that; for the crew finally hit the water and became submerged. Now all they needed to do was wait for the sun to set.... or rather rise.


	61. At World's End: Chapter 10

Lydia watched as the markings on her hands swirling into being. She was entirely certain that those swirling brown patterns were appearing on even her unexposed flesh. Lydia looked around her and saw each member of the crew hanging onto the rail, their hear and clothes floating in the water. She heard the shifting of water and watched as Will fell from the ship, his foot caught on the rope of a cannon. Other barrels and cannons began to sink further and further into the bottomless ocean. Will was able to grip onto a rope and free his foot, staying "on" the ship. Hopefully it would be enough to carry him back to the world of the living.

She felt her lungs start to burn from holding her breath as they waited for the sun to set. _Don't hold your breath,_ Thetis had said. _You'll be able to breathe. Trust me._ But could Lydia truly trust Thetis? Her eyes darted over towards her left, to where Thetis once was. When did she disappear? Lydia wasn't certain. She closed her eyes and let herself take in a breath. Lydia didn't know what she expected, but she felt a rush of _relief_ when she breathed in the water. It was strange... she felt like she was breathing as normally underwater as she would have been on land.

Lydia saw a bright flash of green above her. She knew the sun had just set... or risen... She wasn't entirely sure of where anything was based on her perspective. She suddenly looked down and realized that she saw sunlight below her. She smiled as the _Pearl_ was pulled upwards. Or was it downwards? Either way, they were heading for the surface. She gripped onto the rail as tightly as she possibly could as they were sucked towards the surface. She shut her eyes tight and felt the moment they broke through the water. She was slammed onto the deck with a hard thud. The men around her (plus her sisters and Tia Dalma) began to cough up water. The rest of the water from below began to slowly drain off of the ship. Lydia sat on her knees and tried to shift as much of the excess seawater off of the deck as she possibly could.

As she scanned the deck, she noted that Thetis was nowhere to be found. They had to be back; if Thetis was gone, they had to be back. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned her head. There sitting next to her was Hector. "Ye alright, Lyddie?" he asked her.

"Fine," Lydia said. "You?"

"I'm alive," Hector replied. "Fairly certain. Thetis?"

"Nowhere to be seen," Lydia answered. He let out a sigh of relief and gave her shoulder a small squeeze.

"Blessed sweet westerlies!" Gibbs shouted. "We're back!" Lydia stood up at the same time as Hector and they walked closer towards the center of the deck. Lydia couldn't see any different between the Locker and the sea of the living, but she could feel the difference. It wasn't boiling hot and the breezes just felt more... alive. The water felt more alive. Next to her, Alice was feeling her stomach. She let out a sigh of relief when she obviously felt some movement from her baby. That child was going to be extremely strong; it'd had lived through going to the Locker and back, after all.

"It's sunrise," Elizabeth commented. Lydia looked out ahead and saw the slowly rising sun in the horizon. Hector smiled at the sunrise and pressed a kiss to Lydia's temple. It was a beautiful moment.

At least, it would have been had Hector not shoved her backwards and drew his gun approximately two seconds later.

Immediately, Gibbs, Will, and Elizabeth drew their own guns and pointed them at Hector. Alice drew her gun and pointed it at Elizabeth. Alice drew her other gun and aimed it at Will. Will initially pointed his gun at Alice, but then shifted his other gun to aim at Hector when he drew his other pistol and aimed it at Will.

"Alice!" Elizabeth shouted.

"I'm not sorry," Alice replied simply. "I'm still pissed about you murdering the man I love." Jack drew his gun and pointed it at Will, who drew his other gun and pointed it at Jack, who then pointed _his_ second gun and pointed it to Elizabeth. Lydia had no weaponry on her, but if she did, she'd be aiming a gun at Jack and Will right now. No one seemed to dare aim any pistol at Alice right now.  She heard a screech from Jack the Monkey as he pulled out a tiny gun and pointed it at Cotton's parrot.

"Parley," the bird squawked.

"We need to get out pistols," Pintel shouted. "Get untied! Hurry!" Lydia turned around and furrowed her brow in confusion at the two pirates who had (evidently) tied themselves upside-down to the mast. All the pirates involved in the six-way stand-off began to laugh and lower their pistols. If lives weren't in danger, Lydia might have found the entire situation to be comical as well.

"Alright then!" Hector snapped. All parties immediately aimed their pistols again and glared at each other. "The Brethren Court’s a-gathering at Shipwreck Cove. And Jack, you and I are going, and there’ll be no arguing that point."

"I is arguing the point," If there’s pirates a-gathering, I’m pointing my ship the other way."

"Not on my watch you're not," Alice snapped. "You're going and that's final."

"The pirates are gathering to fight Beckett, and you’re a pirate," Elizabeth snapped pointing her second gun at Jack. Alice aimed her other gun to Elizabeth at the same time as Jack. Will aimed his second pistol at Jack.

"Fight or not, you're not running, Jack," Will said.

"If we don’t stand together, they’ll hunt us down one by one, till there be none left, but you," Hector said.

"I quite like the sound of that," Jack said. "Captain Jack Sparrow, the last pirate." Lydia rolled her eyes at the man. Ever the egotist...

"Aye," Hector said, taking a step forward and aiming his pistol at Jack. He crossed his other arm behind him and aimed the second pistol at Gibbs. Jack, in turn, moved his aim on his second gun from Will to Hector. "And you'll be fighting Jones alone. How does that figure into your plan?"

"I won't be alone, I'll have Alice and the kid," Jack said. "But I’ll not be going back to the locker, mate, count on that." Jack fired his gun at Hector. Lydia instinctively lifted a large whip of water from the ocean with the intention of hitting Jack. Yet when he pulled the trigger, the gun didn't go off. All that could be heard was a small click. All of the pirates in the standoff fired their guns, only to be met with the same result.

"Wet powder," Gibbs groaned. Lydia sighed lowered the water. Of course the powder was wet. It was just disappointing that none of them seemed to think about the effect being completely submerged underwater would have on their firearms. But perhaps she could do something about that issue... Lydia stepped towards Hector, holding out her hand. He looked down at it for a moment then looked at Lydia with an arched brow. She let out a snort and rolled her eyes.

"Do you want dry powder or not?" Lydia asked all six of them. "Knowing Jack's luck, we'll need working guns soon." Hector nodded once, finally catching onto what she was planning on doing, and handed both of his pistols to her.

"I forgot how stunning ye look with the markings," Hector said with a smirk. Lydia let out a small smile as he walked away. The others tossed their own guns at Lydia's feet. She knelt down to the ground and laid out the twelve guns in front of her. Some of the other crew members were bringing their own guns to her and setting them down gently on the deck. Lydia took a deep breath and focused on feeling the water within the guns. Was she certain that she could separate the water from the gunpowder? Not entirely. But she was going to try it anyway. They needed working weapons as soon as possible. She felt the weight of the powder as the connection with the water inside the guns grew. She felt as if she were sorting grains of sand from water as she worked on Hector's first gun. A small stream of grey-tinged water spiraled out of the barrel of the pistol, the majority of the powder remaining inside. It was far more intricate manipulation than Lydia was used to. Not that she'd been terribly used to using her gifts anyway within the past few months... This water sifting was going to take a long, long time.

* * *

 

Barbossa couldn't help but watch as Lydia knelt down on the deck and began to separate the seawater from his pistols. It was a strange sort of beauty to behold. Yet he couldn't help but notice the slight quiver in her hands and wrists as she worked on drying the gunpowder. She was straining herself, he knew it. Not by much, but it was strain nonetheless. Alice stumbled after about two steps and leaned against the mast, letting out a grunt of pain. "You alright, love?" Jack asked her. Alice nodded her head and took a long, deep breath.

"I'm fine," Alice said. "I've just been getting more out of breath lately. Nothing to worry about." Jack rubbed Alice's shoulder and offered his arm to her. She waddled towards the map that Turner was starting to unroll. Barbossa peered over Will's shoulder, as did the rest of the crew (save for Lydia, who was still locked in deep, deep concentration) as the boy unrolled the maps.

"There’s a freshwater spring on this island. We can resupply there, and get back to shooting each other later," Will said, pointing towards the map. "It isn't more than half a day's sail."

"You can lead the shore party," Jack said, looking at Barbossa. "I'll stay with my ship."

"I'll not be leaving _my_ ship in your command," Barbossa bit back, sending Sparrow a harsh glare.

"Why don't you both go ashore and leave the ship in my command?" Will suggested. "Temporarily." Jack and Barbossa both looked up at each other, neither one of them really wanting to leave the ship in anyone else's command but their own. Unfortunately, though,  Barbossa knew that Turner was right.

"Only temporarily," Jack said.

"Aye," Barbossa added. "Anything happens to this ship, I'll shoot ye meself." Will merely nodded and started to roll up the map. Alice straightened herself and looked over at Barbossa and Jack.

"Who's going ashore, besides you, me, and Jack?" Alice asked.

"First of all, not you," Jack said. Alice tilted her head and arched an eyebrow.

"What?" she asked. She looked over at Barbossa expectantly, as if she actually expected him to side with her. "Really? You too? If we expected a fight, then I would gladly stay. But all we're doing is gathering supplies."

"Shrimp, anytime we've gone somewhere not expecting a fight, we've ended up in a fight," Barbossa said. Alice let out a huff and nodded, albeit reluctantly. Was Alice Swann the most mature woman in the Caribbean? Definitely not. But as of late, she'd been thinking ahead more often.

"Fine," Alice said. "I can see where you both are coming from. But I want someone other than just you two going on that island. You'll kill each other without a second thought otherwise."

"Pintel and Ragetti?" Barbossa suggested. Jack shrugged, signaling his agreement. "And I want Lydia there as well. She can keep an eye on the ship while she's with us further inland. Though that's entirely dependent on her.  She may wish to rest for a while after she dries our powder."

"Barbossa, you know she'll go even if she's exhausted, right?" Alice asked. "That's just how Lydia is." Barbossa turned his head and watched as Lydia pulled small streams of grey water from the barrel of a gun. As much as he wished he could force her to rest, he doubted Lydia would take any form of ordering well. Still, he knew that her abilities would be extremely useful on the island. Not to mention she was probably the only one besides Alice who _could_ keep Jack and him from killing the other.

"I'll make sure she takes it easy," Barbossa said.

"So it's decided?" Will asked. "You, Jack, Pintel, Ragetti, and Lydia will go ashore?"

"Aye," Jack responded.

"I'll let her know," Elizabeth piped. She quickly turned around and walked over towards her elder sister before Alice could give any form of objection. Barbossa placed a hand on seething Alice's shoulder. Alice said nothing as she shoved his hand away and practically stormed into the Captain's cabin, muttering incoherent words to herself that more than likely contained a great deal of cursing. Jack merely shrugged and walked away from the group, shouting orders to the crew. Barbossa began to make his way towards the helm. Right now, it seemed as if Lydia needed to talk to Elizabeth alone, and vice versa. His presence wasn't needed or possibly even desired right now.

* * *

 

Lydia's mind was almost completely blank. She couldn't even decipher the words that the rest of the crew of the _Black Pearl._ As she sifted through the soaked gunpowder, she found herself wondering what even happened to Thetis. Lydia saw no sign of her since they'd returned... yet was she even still present? Or had she been nothing but a delusion the entire time?

_I'm still extremely real and very much here, Lydia._

Lydia almost jumped at the sound of Thetis' voice. Well that certainly answered that question.

_It's strange, not having any sort of bodily autonomy. But at least I can choose to hide and leave you alone now, right? I can imagine being around would be very awkward whenever you and Hector decide to get more intimate, you know?_

_So what is this then?_ Lydia thought back. _You just rear your head when it's convenient now?_

_Essentially,_ Thetis said. _I didn't expect to actually be able to communicate with you like this. I thought it'd go back to how it was before. Me just being a vague influence that you couldn't hear or detect. I much prefer this. I hated screaming at you and not being heard._

_Just keep the snarkiness to minimum,_ Lydia snapped back. _We were cooped up together for who knows how long. Did you consider that I might want some time without your constant sarcasm?_

_I get it, I get it,_ Thetis said. Lydia could practically see the Nereid holding up her hands defensively. _I'll leave you to the sifting. Though just so you know, I think you have a sister coming over here._ Lydia felt Thetis's presence disappear into the back of her mind as she looked up and saw Elizabeth kneeling in front of her.

"Are you alright?" Elizabeth asked almost hesitantly.

"As well as I can be," Lydia said. She moved onto to the next gun in the line before her and began to slowly pluck the water from the powder. How many guns had she managed to clear out so far now? Four? Five? She looked down and immediately noted that she was on the six gun she'd lined up. Both of Hector's and Jack's guns were dry, as well as one of Elizabeth's. "What's the current plan as of now?"

"We're resupplying at a nearby island," Elizabeth said. "No more than half a day away. Barbossa, Jack, Pintel, and Ragetti are going ashore. Barbossa wants you to go ashore as well so that you can keep an eye on the ship, but he said that it was completely your decision."

"That sounds best," Lydia said, not even bothering to look up at her younger sister. "I would have requested to go with them anyway. Someone has to make sure they don't kill each other and Alice doesn't need to be going ashore."

"You're mad at me too, aren't you?" she asked with an almost childlike innocence to her voice.

"Well, I'm certainly not pleased with your actions," Lydia replied. "You killed a man, Elizabeth. And a man that you knew perfectly well your sister was in love with. Do you really think I would approve of that, regardless of how much I dislike Sparrow?"

"I didn't think I had a choice," Elizabeth said. "Jones wasn't going to stop hunting Jack. He didn't care about who was in his way. You of all people should know that."

"Elizabeth, I think it would be wise for you to stop talking," Lydia snapped. The last thing she wanted to think about right now was anything associated with Jones and the Locker. "If you're here to ask me what to do, then I'll give you my counsel. But the way to get help from me is _not_ by reminding me of every bit of mental torture I experienced at the hands of Davy Jones." Elizabeth shut her mouth and nodded. "Alice isn't about to forgive you anytime soon, so don't ask me how to get her to do so. She's not only dealing with the pain of losing father, but she's dealing with the guilt of not being around him as much as she think she should have and she, justifiably, also feels betrayed by you. You kept this secret to yourself. What did you think would happen when others figured out what you did?"

"I-I don't..." Elizabeth let out a groan and shook her head.

"You weren't thinking about that when you did it, were you?" Lydia asked.

"I was only thinking about keeping the rest of us alive," Elizabeth answered. "You saw what the Kraken did to the _Black Pearl._ A single longboat didn't stand a chance." Lydia looked down and closed her eyes. Unfortunately, she couldn't disagree with Elizabeth on that point. It had decimated the _Pearl_. They all would have been dragged down if Jack were on that longboat.

"Alice doesn't see it like that, though," Lydia said. "And she probably never will. I think at this point you should just stay clear of Alice. Not only will she tear you a new one, but she doesn't need the emotional stress that you're putting on her." Elizabeth opened her mouth as if to start defending herself, but Lydia put up a hand. "I'm not saying you're consciously doing it. But intentional or not, you're presence causes her stress. The last thing she needs this late in her pregnancy is more strain put on her." Elizabeth nodded and stood up, walking away from her elder sister. "Elizabeth!" Elizabeth turned around and tilted her head in confusion. Lydia held up both of Elizabeth's guns, now with dry(er) powder within. Elizabeth took the pistols, muttered a short thanks, and went on her way. She went to work on the next gun. Already she felt her strength beginning to fade. She was going to be exhausted after this; she could already tell.


	62. At World's End: Chapter 11

Lydia sat on the rail at the helm, watching the water flow past the ship. As much as she wished she could connect with it or manipulate it in some way, she knew she needed to save her strength for when she needed it. She'd made _that_ mistake on the Isla Cruces and it ended up with her in Davy Jones' Locker. She wasn't about to make that mistake again. She shut her eyes tightly and tried to force those memories into the back of her mind. For a second, she thought she felt Thetis' presence come forward. The next moment, however, that presence disappeared again. As if she knew better than to rear her head at that moment. She didn't want to think about the Locker, or Thetis, or the fate that befell her father. Oh perfect... now she _was_ thinking about everything that had gone wrong for her in the past year...

Lydia jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Almost immediately, Hector recoiled back. "Apologies," he said. He sat down next to her, not daring to touch her.

"I'm not made of glass, Hector," Lydia said with a small smirk. Though she greatly admired the respect for her boundaries that he gave her, she didn't want to be treated as if she were a porcelain doll, ready to shatter at the slightest touch. Lydia liked to think she had a little more strength than that. Hector let out a ghost of a laugh and took Lydia's hand in his own, their fingers weaving together. "You surprised me, was all."

"Aye, but ye looked like ye a lot on your mind that you didn't really want on your mind," he said. Lydia looked down and sighed a deep sigh.

"How is it you know me so well?" Lydia asked. Hector merely shrugged in response.

"I'm just good at reading people," he replied. Lydia shook her head and stared back into the water.

"I wish I could just stop thinking, you know?" Lydia said. "I wish everything running through my mind could just disappear. I almost want to go back to before you attacked Port Royal searching for that last coin. Back when I was so much more naive and idealistic; when my only fear was dying as a spinster. God, I was such a little fool back then..."

"I don't really think ye wish that, though," Hector said. "After all, you ne'er would've met me if you hadn't said 'parley' that night." Lydia let out a small, ghost of a laugh and shook her head. Ever the egotist... "Aye, they say ignorance is bliss, and in a way they're right. But you've ne'er struck me as the type of person to enjoy not knowing what's around ye. Not even when you were that stuttering little mouse the first time we met." Lydia felt herself cringe at the memory of herself those years ago. God... how could anyone even stand her? She couldn't get out two coherent words back then. Maybe that fear of everything was what made Beckett want her as a wife; she would have never argued against him had she married him when she was sixteen. Yet how much of her changed personality was her and how much of it was Thetis? If Thetis weren't around, if she weren't a Nereid, would she even be the person she is now? Or would she still be a stammering little fool of a girl? She felt Hector gently tilt her chin up and towards him.

"Sorry," Lydia whispered. "I was lost in my head again."

"I could tell," Hector said.

"I just..." Lydia let out a huff and shook her head. "I know you're going to tell me to talk to my sisters, but how can unload my burdens on them when they have their own issues going on? Alice is trying to figure out how to care for another human being and Elizabeth is trying to deal with the guilt of killing a man and possibly losing Will... I don't want to add to that. I'm their older sister, I'm supposed to be the one to help them and guide them, but if I can't even help myself and my own fucking issues..."She felt Hector squeeze her hand and gently shush her.

"Yer starting to panic, love," he whispered to her. Lydia let out a slow breath and nodded her head. "Ye aren't responsible for consoling your sisters, especially right now. Alice told me that you've always been the one to care for other people, never the one to care for yourself. I believe her exact wording was, 'she has a stupid self-sacrificing attitude and needs to learn how to be selfish once in a while.'" Lydia let out a laugh at this. Of course Alice would say something like that. "I'm not going to presume that I know what ye need, but I do know that sitting alone and letting your thoughts consume you isn't helping any."

"I know," Lydia said. "But what else can I do? I know nearly nothing about anything to do with ships and what I do know came from Jack when he was hallucinating about fifty other hims in the Locker. I'm not exactly apt to trust knowledge dispensed in those circumstances."

"Then I'll teach ye after we resupply," Hector said.

"Hector, I-"

"No, no. No arguing," Hector interrupted. "I know what yer going to say. I may not need to, but I want to." Lydia looked up at Hector finally and smiled softly. She knew she was blushing, as much as she wished she wasn't.

"Thank you," she said quietly. Hector let out a smirk and leaned forward slightly, just enough to brush his lips against Lydia's. How was it that even the smallest of touches from him made her heart race within her chest? "Don't let me keep you. You have half a ship to worry about."

"Unfortunately, the half I _am_ worrying about isn't mine," Hector scoffed, shooting a pointed glare in Jack's direction. Jack evidently heard this and stuck his tongue out almost childishly at Hector.

"Land ho!" their man in the Crow's nest called out. Hector and Lydia both rose to their feet, their hands never once parting. They had an island to get to. Lydia only hoped she could keep the two feuding pirate Captains from murdering each other in the process. Hector gave the back of her had a short kiss before letting go of it. He walked to the side of the ship and pulled out his spyglass, observing the island more closely. Then, of course, Jack came up with a much longer and more rickety looking spyglass than the one he'd had previously. Lydia let out a scoff him and rolled her eyes. Such childish, childish competitiveness...

* * *

 

Three longboats were brought ashore. The first was headed by Jack, the second by Barbossa. The last contained only Lydia, Pintel, and Ragetti. It was a silent row from the _Pearl_ to the unnamed island. (Well, Lydia was sure it had a name, but no one had thought about disclosing that information to anyone.) Lydia wasn't even inside of her own head for a majority of it. She was in her trance, slowly connecting with a few different species of sea life. Mostly just smaller fish, though. She wasn't going to dare try anything larger as of yet. All she really needed was a small network to alert her to anything that might be happening around the ship. But even with that small network of fish, she could feel a sense of restraint. Every creature knew that something was wrong with the sea; something was being controlled by someone that shouldn't have that power. Pirates weren't the only ones afraid right now; every creature she'd touch felt that same fear as well.

Lydia was quickly brought out of her trance, however, when both Pintel and Ragetti started screaming loudly. She'd just returned to her own body when a giant wave overcame the longboat, flipping it over and sending the party of three crashing into the water. Lydia felt a rush of power surge through her as she swam towards the surface of the water. She began to swim to the shore, fairly certain that Pintel and Ragetti could take care of the longboat themselves.  

"Ye alright, Lyddie?" Hector called out as she walked onto the shore.

"I'm fine," Lydia called back. "Just a bit wet, is all."

"Ye sure?" he asked again. Lydia nodded and finally made her way up to him.

"What's the water going to do?" she asked. "It can't hurt me. If anything, it probably helped." Hector let out a smirk and turned around. He immediately stiffened, as did Jack, when they looked ahead. Lydia took a step forward and gasped at the sight she saw.

"Criminy," Pintel whispered.

"Odds bodkins," Ragetti said. Lydia immediately fell to her knees and stared blankly at the creature before her.

It was the Kraken. And it was dead.

Seagulls and other birds were swarming the carcass, slowly picking at its flesh. Lydia was almost glad she was in the Locker when the monster met its demise. The screaming she would have heard as it suffocated on air... Perhaps the Locker had been a mercy to her in that respect. She felt Hector bend down next to her and help her to her feet.

"Come on, love," he said. "We need to keep moving." Lydia nodded and walked forward with him, Jack, Pintel, and Ragetti. As they approached the body, Pintel managed to find a rather large stick and began to poke at the remains. The action was infuriating Lydia. She wasn't even entirely sure of why. She'd watch it kill countless men and devour Jack, it'd given her nightmares for months without end... yet she couldn't bring herself to hate the creature. Perhaps it had to do with her connection to the sea. Perhaps it was because she knew, deep down, that Jones would never had let that monster die unless Beckett had forced him to do so.

"You stupid fish!" he shouted as he poked it.

"Actually, it's a cephalopod," Ragetti corrected.

"Stop it," Lydia suddenly hissed. Both men turned to her, their eyes wide in surprise. "It deserves more respect than this."

"But... but you _saw_ -" Ragetti stammered.

"I know what it's done," Lydia snapped back. "But it's just as much of a victim of Beckett as we are. And you'll _not_ dishonor it in front of me." She looked over at Jack, who was staring almost blankly into the Kraken's still open eye. She couldn't imagine what was running through his own mind. After all, he was looking directly into the golden eye of the creature that had devoured him whole. Now it was lying on a beach as a rotting corpse.

"Still thinking of running, Jack?" Hector asked. "Think you can outrun the world? You know, the problem with being the last of anything, is by and by, there be none left at all." Lydia stepped forward and looked into its lifeless gold eye. She took a step forward placed a hand on the creature. It was strange to her, feeling the creature itself but not feeling any of the life within it. It was... an empty, void sort of feeling. The feeling of nothingness within the remains.

"Sometimes, things come back, mate. We’re living proof, you and me," Jack said.

"But that's never guaranteed, Jack," Lydia said, not looking away from the Kraken. "By all accounts, none of the three of us should be standing here right now."

"She's right," Hector said. "It's a gamble of long odds, ain’t it? There’s never a guarantee of coming back, but passing on, that’s dead certain." Jack took a deep breath and then looked over at Hector.

"Summoning the Brethren Court, then, is it?" Jack asked.

"S'our only hope, lad," Hector said.

"He's right," Lydia said. "I don't know much about the Brethren Court outside of what Hector's already told me. But you're going to need the cooperation of every pirate in existence if you want to defeat Beckett. His influence is everywhere in the sea... Everything feels it." Jack looked from Lydia to Hector slowly and then back to the Kraken's eye.

"That’s a sad commentary in and of itself," Jack said.

"The world used to be a bigger place," Hector said. Jack shook his head and looked over to Hector.

"The world's still the same," he said. "There's just less in it." Jack turned around and walked towards the jungle, his steps holding less swagger in them than they usually did. Hector placed a hand on the small of her back and gently guided her away from the body. Silently, Lydia was glad that he was doing so. If she looked at the carcass any longer, she was certain Thetis would come out and tear Pintel and Ragetti a new one.

They walked through the palm trees and sandy undergrowth, the crew following behind them carrying jugs for water and baskets for whatever edible fruits they could find. Lydia could hear the squawking and chirps of birds all around them. All the while, she could feel the movements of the fish she'd formed a link with, along with their occasional thoughts about food and the ship. The rest of the crew was distancing themselves from her, especially the Chinese crew members. She wasn't entirely surprised that they'd never encountered a Nereid before. She couldn't blame them for being wary of her, especially with her markings so prominently on display.

By the time they'd made it to the freshwater spring in the center of the small island, she was certain that her markings had faded. She was completely dry now, after all. Yet immediately everyone knew something was very wrong. The corpse inside the spring made that overtly obvious. Lydia covered her nose at the stench of the body. It wasn't a fresh corpse; not with the way the mottled white skin was breaking off into the water. She almost felt as if she were going to vomit. Hector stepped up to the water and dipped a finger inside. He sucked the water off his finger and immediately spat it back out onto a nearby rock.

"Poisoned," Hector reported. "Fouled by the body."

"Damn," Lydia whispered. Pintel grabbed the body and tilted it up, revealing the fid that was shoved through his mouth into his skull. She turned away, not wanting to see the sight. Hard as her heart may be, she still couldn't bear to look at a freshly killed corpse.

"Hey, I know him," Pintel said. "He was in Singapore." Suddenly, she stiffened. The fish were sensing something coming. Lydia could practically feel the shifting of water inside of her. "Something's not right." She turned to Hector, nodded once, and the slipped herself deep into her trance. She followed the connection, flitting from fish to fish, trying to find the source of the disturbance. But there was only so much she could do underwater... she definitely knew there were two ships coming. But she had no idea who those ships belonged to. Out of the corner of one of the fish's eyes, she spotted a dolphin. She quickly shifted her consciousness into its mind and peaked its- her- head out of the water. The first ship was a Chinese junk; there was no doubt about it. The second ship, however, made her more afraid. It was an East India Trading Company ship; a ship she knew. A ship her husband had shown her whenever they made the rare trip to the docks together.

It was the _HMS Endeavour_. It was Beckett's flagship.

The realization sent her flying back into her own body, where she let out a loud gasp as she felt herself fall to the ground. Hector immediately crouched down to her side, helping her to sit up. "Two ships," she breathed out. "One junk. The other... " Lydia felt her breathing grow rapid. She was hyperventilating, she knew it. "Beckett. His ship. He has to be here." Hector tensed his jaw and looked out at the water. Only the junk was in sight from here, but she knew the _Endeavour_ wasn't far behind. Tai Huang suddenly let out orders in Chinese and his men aimed their guns at the crew of the _Black Pearl._ Jack looked around and then pointed at Hector.

"He's the Captain," Jack said. Hector rolled his eyes and glared at both Jack and Tai Huang. Lydia looked around her and severed all of her connections. It wasn't as if they could escape the two ships, after all. Lydia could only pray that Beckett either wasn't on the _Endeavour_ or that he didn't know she was a Nereid. Both, unfortunately, were highly unlikely.

* * *

 

Alice knew something was wrong the moment she heard Gibbs shout something about another ship approaching. She got onto her feet and rushed out of the cabin, intent on figuring out what was happening. She took her own spyglass from her belt and waddled up the steps to the helm. The baby shifted around inside of her, its small hand pressing against her abdomen. She held her spyglass to her eye and looked out at the rear. She widened her eyes and gasped at the ship approaching. It was Sao Feng's ship, the _Empress._ She was sure of it. But how did he even find them? They'd only resurfaced from the Locker less than twelve hours ago!

"Gibbs, do you know what they want?" Alice asked.

"Nay," Gibbs responded. "But it looks like their preparing to board." Alice looked out of her spyglass again and indeed see Sao Feng's men readying ropes and grapples. They needed to defend themselves long enough for the shore party to get back to the _Pearl._  "Should we fight or flee?"

"Hold them off long enough for shore party to return," Alice said.

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that."

Alice heard the click of a gun and turned around slowly. Standing there, with a gun pointed at her head, was Will. She widened her eyes and dropped her jaw. The Chinese crewmen that remained behind all pulled out their guns as well, pointing them at various members of the _Black Pearl's_ crew. As Sao Feng's ship grew closer, she knew exactly what was happening.

"Really, Will?" she asked, unable to hide the small crack in her voice. "A mutiny? After everything we've done to get Jack back?"

"You wouldn't understand, Alice," Will said.

"No, I understand perfectly," she snorted. She glanced over towards Elizabeth, who also had a gun pointed at her by one of the Chinese sailors. "I guess it's true. Traitors are drawn to other traitors." She brought her hand down to her gun, but stopped before she could touch the pistol. She couldn't grab it. If she started a fight, she risked not only her life, but her child's and her crew's as well. They were outnumbered. It didn't take much to see that. She let out a long, slow breath and then took both of her pistols, dropping them to the ground.

"Alice!" Gibbs shouted.

"We're outmanned, Gibbs," Alice said. "Standing down is the best course of action right now." Gibbs bit his lower lip and then nodded.

"Stand down!" he shouted out to what remained of the _Black Pearl's_ crew that was loyal. Alice unstrapped her sword and her dagger and tossed them to the ground as well. She watched as her men all disarmed themselves, staring at their adversaries in defeat.

"When Jack and Barbossa get back, there'll be hell to pay," Alice sneered. "Especially when I tell them you put your gun to the head of a pregnant woman. Where's the honor in that, Turner?" Will faltered for a moment and then lowered his gun.

"I don't have a choice," Will said. "I need the _Pearl_  to free my father."

"You're wrong, Will," Alice said, shaking her head. "You did have a choice. You just made the selfish one." She turned around and made her way down from the helm, joining the rest of the crew as they waited for the shore party to return. Hopefully the combined genius of Barbossa and the insanity of Jack would be enough to get them out of this mess. And hopefully she could maroon Will and Elizabeth for this treason.


	63. At World's End: Chapter 12

Lydia was silent the entire row back to the _Black Pearl_. Though the _HMS Endeavour_  was not yet close enough to see with the naked eye, she knew it was coming. The thought sent a huge wave of nausea into the pit of her stomach. She didn't want to see him. Beckett was the last possible person she wanted to see. She was still hardly sane enough to accept that Hector was alive. Seeing Beckett... she wasn't sure how she would handle that. Hector's hand was tightly gripping hers, as if he were trying to comfort her silently.  Jack sat next her quietly, but was tapping his fingers almost nervously against the wood of the longboat. He was worrying about Alice; Lydia was completely certain of that.

The shore party was greeted with loud yelling and the shaking of swords and guns as they approached the _Pearl._  Lydia was the first to forced up onto the deck from their longboat, a gun pointed at her head the entire time. The moment she stepped onto deck, one of the men (who she now knew belonged to Sao Feng, the Pirate Lord of Singapore and the South China Sea) immediately grabbed her by the arms and began to bind her wrists behind her. None of the other members of the _Black Pearl'_ s crew had their hands bound. It was probably only Lydia, since they knew she was a Nereid. Perhaps they saw that as disarming her.

All around her, the crew of the _Pearl_  had guns to their heads and swords to their throats. Alice stood next to the mast, two large men on either side of her and a gun to each side of her head. She glared around the ship, her jaw tensed. Alice knew she couldn't do anything about this and it was infuriating her.  Hector came up over the ledge next, immediately standing next to Lydia. When he saw Alice, he stiffened and clenched his fist. He emitted a low growl and glared at the men around him. Hector felt the same sort of protectiveness for Alice that Lydia did. It didn't help that these men clearly had no problem holding a gun to the head of a heavily pregnant woman.

Finally, Jack made his way over the ledge and onto the deck. He almost ran to Alice, but then saw someone that made him immediately hide behind Hector. "Sao Feng," Hector said, taking a step forward. "You showing up here is a truly remarkable coincidence." Lydia looked over at the man he addressed as Sao Feng. He had a long braided beard and multiple scars adorning is bald head. Sao Feng smirked and walked around behind Hector, to where Jack was feebly attempting to hide.

"Jack Sparrow," Sao Feng said. "You paid me great insult once."

"That doesn’t sound like me," Jack said. Immediately, Sao Feng whipped his arm out and punched Jack square in the face. Everyone on the ship winced at the sight. Jack let out a groan and grabbed his nose, trying to straighten it out. It let out two large cracks as Jack looked up at Sao Feng. "So we just call it square, then?"

"I thought it was square?" Alice asked. She looked over at Sao Feng and smirked. "Or did you not enjoy that night?" Suddenly Will burst through the crowd of Sao Feng's men and pointed at Elizabeth.

"Release her," Will said. "She's not part of our bargain. And there's no reason to hold a gun to Alice's head." Elizabeth dropped her jaw in shock and confusion.

"And the traitorous twat shows his true colors," Alice mused with a harsh glare at Will. Lydia furrowed her brow and stared slack-jawed at Will. What was Alice talking about? What bargain was Will referring to?

"And what bargain be that?" Hector asked, sending a steely glare at Will.

"You heard Captain Turner," Sao Feng said. Lydia gasped and shook her head. No... he couldn't have. Will mutinying against them? Lydia looked from Hector to Jack, the other two men looking just as shocked as she was; perhaps even more so. "Release her. Lower your weapons." The guns were lowered from Alice's head and the shackles on Elizabeth's wrists were undone.  

"Captain Turner?" Jack asked as he moved his hand away from his nose.

"Aye," Gibbs snorted. "The Perfidious rotter led a mutiny against us."

"I need the _Pearl_  to free my father," Will said. "It's the only reason I came on this voyage."

"Why didn't you tell me you were planning this?" Elizabeth demanded as she stormed up to Will.

"It was my burden to bear," Will responded coldly. Lydia tensed her jaw and shook her head.

"He needs the _Pearl_ ," Jack sneered. "Captain Turner needs the _Pearl._ " Jack turned to Elizabeth and said, "And you felt guilty." He turned to Hector and snickered, "And you and your Brethren Court and your bonnie lass." Jack turned around and spread his arms out wide. "Did no one besides Alice come to save me just because they missed me?"Immediately, Marty's hand shot into the air, with Pintel, Ragetti, and Cotton's hands slowly raising as well. Jack smiled and pointed at those men. The monkey let out a chirp and raised its tiny paw into the air. "I'm standing over there with them."

"Same," Alice said. She made her way slowly to the other side of the deck.

"Now I'm curious as to who would have gotten me out of there if Jack weren't also trapped in the Locker..." Lydia muttered to herself. She glared over at Will and Elizabeth and hissed, "Certainly not either of you. That's been made abundantly clear." Lydia felt a long-nailed hand grab her by the chin and forcefully turn her face around. She was met with the dark gaze of Sao Feng.

"And you must be Lydia Swann. Wait, no... Lady Lydia _Beckett_ ," Sao Feng said. Lydia tensed up with the use of her married name. "So rare to find a Nereid. I know your husband has been missing you greatly." Lydia tensed her jaw and looked out into the water. Sao Feng motioned for his men to grab Jack. Two of the larger men grabbed Jack by the arms and dragged him over towards Sao Feng. "I'm sorry, Jack. But an old friend wishes to see you first."

"I'm not sure I can survive any more visits from old friends," Jack muttered. Sao Feng nodded towards the sea and smirked.

"Here's your chance to find out," he said. Lydia gulped and watched as the white sails of the _HMS Endeavour_ grew closer. Lord Cutler Beckett was on that ship. She was sure of it. The thought of seeing that man again... she almost felt like every inch of her was shaking in fear. She turned her head to look at Hector. His jaw had somehow grown more tense and he almost look afraid. But he wasn't afraid for himself; that much was clear to Lydia. He was afraid for her. The last thing he would ever wish upon her was an encounter with Beckett. "Of course, Jack, Lord Beckett is more anxious to see his dear wife than he is you." Lydia could barely breath, her chest was so tight. The _HMS Endeavour_  lined itself up with the _Pearl._ On the deck, Lydia could see the scarred face of Mercer, staring at the ship with a sinister smirk. The gangplank was lowered and Mercer immediately came aboard. He looked at Lydia up and down once.

"You husband will be glad to know you're alive," Mercer said as he started to unbind her wrists. "He's been worried sick every since your sister kidnapped you." Lydia got the message he was silently giving her. Beckett was still giving his own version of events that led to her escape. She had to comply with it or there would be consequences. She took a breath and took a single step forward. She turned around and looked at Hector, who seemed half ready to chase after her.

"Trust me, Hector," she whispered. Hector didn't look happy with the circumstance, but nodded once at her, signaling that he understood.

"Send Sparrow to the brig until Lord Beckett is ready for him," Mercer ordered. Lydia turned around, trying to ignore the hammering inside of her chest and the rising sense of panic in her throat, and walked across the gangplank. As she walk across the deck of the _HMS Endeavour_ , soldiers turned to acknowledge her as 'Lady Beckett' and offer their thanks to God that she'd been found safe and unharmed. Lydia could say nothing in response. Alice and Hector's lives could lie in the balance. Kitty's life could be at risk, wherever she was right now. She was escorted to the Captain's Cabin, where she knew Beckett was waiting for her and Jack. The guards at the door nodded once to both Mercer and Lydia. The opened the double doors and there he was, looking out of the rear windows.

Her husband, Lord Cutler Beckett.

"Lydia," he said, turning around and smiling. "It's a miracle you're alive and well."

"Well isn't the word I would use," Lydia responded coldly. Beckett flicked his wrist, dismissing Mercer from the room. He bowed and turned on his heel, the doors shutting behind him as he left. Beckett's smile immediately fell the moment the doors clicked shut and he stalked up to Lydia.

"Yes, I did hear about your sentencing to the Locker," Beckett said. Lydia tensed and looked down, avoiding his cold blue eyes. "I cannot imagine what terrors you experienced down there. I did try to order Jones to release you. Unfortunately, he cannot remove someone once sentenced. At least not until they've completed it. Since you were sentenced for eternity... well, my hands were tied." Lydia felt him tilt her chin up towards him. She felt sick to her stomach the entire time his lips were pressed against hers. "However, my relief at seeing you does not mean that all is forgiven between us."

"For once we agree," Lydia scoffed. Beckett narrowed his eyes and immediately slapped Lydia across the face. She didn't move her head to look back at him. She just stared blankly at the carpeted floor, her cheek stinging from his hand.

"You've been keeping secrets from me, dearest," Beckett said, pacing around her in a slow circle. Lydia felt an instantaneous rush of fear course through her. He couldn't know she was a Nereid. She knew it was a very real possibility, especially now that she knew that he was aware of her sentencing in the Locker. "I didn't believe Kitty at first when she told me about Nereids. After all, it was just a myth. But then again, given the existence of magical compasses and Davy Jones..." Lydia gasped and widened her eyes. Kitty? Kitty was the one to betray what she was to Beckett? No. It couldn't be. She'd never do such a thing... right? Of course, now Lydia wasn't entirely certain. As of late, the Swann sisters hadn't exactly been loyal to each other. But to betray what she was to the man who coerced her into a marriage and hurt her... Why would Kitty do such a thing? Perhaps Beckett had threatened Little James. That was the only reason Kitty would ever betray her sister.

Lydia heard him grab a bowl and then quickly throw the contents at her. She held up her hands, blocking her face from the water. Lydia looked down at her now wet palms, watching as her markings swirled to life. Beckett took her by the wrist and observed her palms closely. He then smirked at her, letting out a sinister chuckle. "So it is true. You are one. All that power you possess... and you chose to hide it from me." He tapped her left ring finger, now bare without her wedding band. It disappeared the moment she woke up in the Locker, she was sure of it. It wasn't as if she didn't want to hold onto it for practicality's sake. The same could not be said of Cutler Beckett. Lydia noticed the golden band on his finger the moment she entered the room. "And you no longer wear your wedding ring. I'm wounded, Lydia. It's as if you don't trust me."

"An accurate observation," Lydia bitterly replied.

"It makes sense, though," Beckett mused. "How you always seemed more alert after trips to the docks. How you'd have more resistance and fight to you whenever you returned from your little adventures without my permission. Perhaps I should have known sooner."

"I'm glad you didn't," Lydia said. "So what happens to me now? Do you kill me? Lock me away?"

"You'll return with me to Port Royal and uphold your end of our agreement," Beckett said. "After all, we're still married. You never actually died, so don't try to use that as an excuse. Am I absolutely clear, dearest?"

"Clear as crystal," Lydia growled. "But know that I will not give in without a fight. Especially now that I have my full capabilities at my disposal. I have the advantage of not caring about my reputation nor do I need to restrain myself any longer."

"But now you have something to lose," Beckett replied. "Multiple somethings. I wonder how you'd live with yourself if you caused the second death of your beloved Captain Barbossa."  Lydia felt her steely resolve falter at the mention of his name.

"You plan on killing him regardless of what I do," Lydia said.

"I could keep him alive in a cell if you cooperate with me," Beckett said. "Then there's the matter of my little, pregnant sister-in-law. Well, _two_ pregnant sisters-in-law." Lydia widened her eyes in shock. Kitty was pregnant? No wonder she gave up Lydia's secrets so fast. She could understand that betrayal if it had meant the life of Little James and her unborn child were at stake. And Alice and her child...

"You would threaten my sisters and their unborn children to keep me in line?" Lydia asked.

"I warned you of the cost of crossing me," Beckett said. Lydia glared up at him as he walked towards the door. He opened it and muttered something to the guards that Lydia couldn't catch. All she heard was Jack's name.

"Is that why you killed my father?" Lydia asked. Beckett stiffened for a moment. He clearly didn't expect her to know that. "Oh yes. I know what you did. I saw him as we were sailing through the Locker. Did you kill him to keep Kitty in line?"

"Lieutenant Groves will keep an eye on you below deck while I speak to Mr. Sparrow," Beckett said, not daring to address the subject of Governor Swann.

"Captain," Lydia instinctively corrected. "Captain Sparrow." Beckett let out a low, sinister chuckle as Groves came through the door. Behind Groves, two men were dragging Jack Sparrow inside. Lydia took a deep breath and followed Groves out of the office, giving the illusion that she was going willingly. Her and Beckett all knew better, however. Even Jack probably knew better. He'd seen firsthand the many times the memory of Beckett had haunted her in the Locker. She walked out onto the deck and watched as Beckett's men swarmed onto the deck. Even from their slightly further distance from the _Pearl,_ Lydia could see that Hector was now chained up with the rest of the crew and Alice. She looked over at Hector and their eyes. She nodded one time, hoping that she could convey to him that she was alright, before moving below deck with Groves. He and Jack would find a way to escape somehow. She had a gut feeling. She only needed to figure out how she could get away before they enacted any form of escape plan.


	64. At World's End: Chapter 13

Alice watched as Jack was dragged into Beckett's cabin. A few moments later, Lydia was being escorted out by Groves. Barbossa stiffened next to her as Lydia made her appearance on deck of the _Endeavour_. She looked at him and nodded one time before disappearing again. Barbossa let out an almost relieved sigh and looked over at Alice. "She's alright. For now," he said. Alice nodded and watched as the East India Trading Company soldiers began to swarm around the deck. Alice felt the baby move and shift within her stomach. Now she understood what the women in Tortuga meant about the last month being the worst. She almost wanted to ask if she could sit down somewhere rather than stand. Of course, she didn't want to let any of them know about her discomfort. She wasn't going to satisfy them by showing weakness.

"Be on your guard, men," one of the soldiers said as they took their places around the _Pearl._ It killed Alice to see so many soldiers on her ship. Jack's ship? Barbossa's? Jack and Barbossa's ship? She wasn't sure whose ship she should refer to the _Pearl_ as anymore, but she definitely knew that it was dear to her and didn't belong in Beckett's hands. Or Will's.

Mercer finally made his way onto the _Pearl_ and Sao Feng approached him. "My men are crew enough," he said.

"Company ship, company crew," Mercer said. Alice bristled with rage. No way in hell would this ship belong to the East India Trading Company again. It may have been a company ship as the _Wicked Wench_ , but it was certainly not a company ship as the _Black Pearl._

"You agreed," Will said to Sao Feng. "The _Black Pearl_ was to be mine."

"And so it was," Sao Feng said. He nodded his head at Will and one of his men punched him in the stomach. Alice couldn't help herself from smirking. The traitorous shit deserved it. Alice would have been the one to punch him herself, were she able.  Will and Elizabeth were dragged over towards the rest of the crew and bound in irons, just the same as them.

"Karma," Alice hissed at Will with a smirk. Will glowered at Alice and then turned his glare to Sao Feng and Mercer. Sao Feng stormed up to Mercer and grabbed him by the shoulder.

"Beckett agreed," Sao Feng said. "The _Black Pearl_ was to be mine."

"Lord Beckett's not going to give up the only ship that can outrun the _Dutchman_ , now is he?" Mercer said. Alice watched as Sao Feng glared at the back of Mercer as he walked below deck. His bottom lip quivered and his jaw was tensed.

“Shame they’re not bound to honor the Code of the Brethren, isn’t it?” Barbossa said, stepping closer towards Sao Feng. “Because honor’s a hard thing to come by nowadays.”

“There is no honor to remaining with the losing side,” Sao Feng said. “Leaving it for the winning side is just good business.”

“And that’s how Beckett sees double crossing you,” Alice said. “As just good business.”

“And who said we were the losing side?” Barbossa asked.

“They have the _Dutchman,_ ” Sao Feng snapped. “Now the _Pearl_!”

“The second is yours and Turner’s fault,” Alice pointed out. “Don’t forget that.” Sao Feng shot a harsh glare towards Alice and then turned back to Barbossa.

“What do the Brethren have?”  Sao Feng questioned.

“We have Calypso,” Barbossa answered, his voice no more than a low whispered. Alice widened her eyes in shock at the words. Calypso? Since when? Sao Feng looked over at Elizabeth observing her slowly. There was no way Elizabeth was Calypso. It just wasn’t possible. But if Sao Feng could be convinced that she was… perhaps that could benefit them. Hopefully Elizabeth would choose now to do the right thing for once on this venture.

“Calypso?” Sao Feng scoffed as he turned back to Barbossa. “An old legend.”

“No,” Barbossa said. “The goddess herself, bound in human form. Imagine all the powers of the seas brought to bear against our enemy. I intend to release her, but for that I need the Brethren Court.” Barbossa lifted Sao Feng’s jade Captain’s knot and added, “All the Court.” Alice knew perfectly well that this was his Piece of Eight. Both Jack and Barbossa had described each Lord’s piece to her in extensive detail. Sao Feng turned around and took a few steps towards Elizabeth.

“What are you proposing, Captain?” Sao Feng asked.

“What be accepted, Captain?” Barbossa asked. Sao Feng looked over at Elizabeth and smirked.

“The girl,” he said.

“What?” Elizabeth asked.

“Elizabeth is not part of any bargain!” Will shouted. Alice and Barbossa looked at each other, both of them completely understanding that they were on the same page. Make Elizabeth out to be Calypso. They keep the real Calypso (not that Alice really knew who that was), Elizabeth gets out of Alice’s hair for a while, and they manage to escape Beckett with the help of Sao Feng. It was a perfect plan. The only thing this didn’t cover was how to get Jack and Lydia off the _Endeavour._ But Alice was sure Jack would figure out a way. He always seemed to.

“Out of the question,” Barbossa said, shaking his head.

“It was not a question,” Sao Feng said. Elizabeth took a breath and then nodded.

“Done,” she said. Alice was almost surprised at her sister’s actions.

“What?” Will asked. “No, not done!”

“You got us into this mess,” Elizabeth snapped. “If this is what frees us, then done!”

“Elizabeth, they’re pirates!” Will said. Alice let out a loud snort and rolled her eyes.

“We’re _all_ fucking pirates,” Alice said. “You and Elizabeth included.”

“Precisely, and I have had more than enough experience dealing with pirates!” Elizabeth retorted.

“Then we have an accord?” Barbossa asked Elizabeth and Sao Feng with one raised eyebrow.

“We have an accord,” Sao Feng said. He motioned for his men to begin quietly unshackling the crew of the _Black Pearl_. His men began to subtly pass weapons back to each of the crew members. They could sort out who’s sword belong to who once they were safely away from Beckett. Sao Feng stood next to Barbossa, keeping his voice low. “I will take the girl and my crew back to the Empress. When we’re aboard, begin your attack. We will launch a broadside on the _Endeavour._ ”

 “Aye,” Barbossa whispered back. “That still leaves the problem of Beckett’s lapdog and his men.”

“Not to mention Jack and my sister are still aboard the _Endeavour,_ ” Alice pointed out. Barbossa tensed his jaw and looked over at the ship.

“Our deal was your escape,” Sao Feng said. “Not to cover a rescue.” Alice looked over at the _Endeavour_ and then back to Barbossa.

“They can make it out,” Alice said. “They’re both smart. And Lydia isn’t about to let herself stay around Beckett.” Barbossa looked down, closed his eyes, and nodded.

“When we fight, I want ye to lock yerself in the Captain’s cabin,” Barbossa whispered to her. “Yer eight months pregnant; I doubt Jack would very much like to see ye in a fight anymore than I do.”

“Aye,” Alice whispered back. “Not as if I could do much at this point. But I may not have much choice in the matter, I hope you realize that. There are a lot of soldiers and not a lot of space to avoid them.”

“Aye,” Barbossa said. “The most I ask is that ye do the best ye can.”

“Right,” Alice said. “Give me two guns, just in case I need them.”

“I was going to arm ye, anyway,” Barbossa said with a smirk. “Do ye really think I’m stupid enough to leave ye defenseless?”

“True,” Alice replied. She felt Barbossa slide two pistols into each of her hands, both of which she hid behind her skirts. Sao Feng looked at Barbossa once all of the men (excluding, Will, of course. None of them were stupid enough to arm him or unlock his shackles) were prepared. He nodded once and then drew his sword. Barbossa revealed his own sword and let out a loud yell. The rest of the crew yelled alongside him and the battle for the _Pearl_ began. Alice took out her guns and moved as fast as she could to the Captain’s cabin. Of course, now it seemed inevitable that Alice would be involved in a little combat. Two soldiers appeared before her. She raised her gun and shot both of them clear in the head. Both of their bodies slumped to the ground, lifeless and limp. She paid no heed to this as she stepped around them and opened the cabin door. She shut it and shoved a chair against the door, barring the handles from turning. As much as she wished she could be out there fighting for her ship, she knew she was more of a hindrance right now than an asset.

* * *

“Are you alright, Lady Beckett?” Groves asked her. “The pirates never hurt you, did they?” Lydia let out a bitter snort and shook her head.

“The only one who’s ever hurt me is sitting above us, speaking to Jack Sparrow,” Lydia replied. Groves dropped his jaw and shook his head.

“Lord Beckett-”

“Said Elizabeth kidnapped me as leverage for the Letters of Marque?” Lydia questioned with a bitter smirk. “Yes. He does have the tendency to twist facts to his advantage.” She lifted her hand to her face and lightly touched her still-stinging cheek. “Or hiding them from the public eye.” Groves dropped his jaw and immediately caught onto her implications.

“I had no idea…” he murmured. “I knew he’d been threatening Kitty from James, but…”

“You didn’t think he’d do the exact same thing to me?” Lydia asked. Groves shook his head. She looked around her, trying to formulate a plan to get herself off this ship by the time Hector inevitably found a way to escape from Beckett. Beckett may have been cunning and smart, but Hector was even more so. “How is Kitty, anyway?”

“I’m not sure,” Groves said. “I haven’t seen her since she and James were moved to the _Dutchman._ ”

“What?” Lydia asked. Was she hearing this correctly? Her sister, her _pregnant_ sister was aboard the _Flying Dutchman_ with Davy Jones right now? Was Beckett insane? Still her with that monster… She assumed that Kitty was still in Port Royal under the watchful eye of one of Beckett’s men. But to place her aboard the _Dutchman_? That had never even occurred to Lydia as a possibility.

“I dared not question the order in front of Lord Beckett,” Groves admitted. “But the rest of the men and I have wondered about his decision to bring Kitty to sea with him.”

“ _I_ question his wisdom in the matter,” Lydia snapped. “A pregnant woman on the _Dutchman…_ what on Earth was he thinking?” She shook her head and glared up in the direction of the deck. Was she terrified of Beckett? Completely. Even know she felt her heartbeat begin to race in fear. But another part of her was so furious with Kitty’s placement that she was willing to disregard her hate and fear of the man for her. “I have to speak with him about this. I don’t care if he’s in the middle of discussing something with Sparrow.”

“Lady Beckett,” Groves said, grabbing her arm. “Lydia, I strongly advise against interrupting Lord Beckett.”

“What else can he do to me, Theodore?” Lydia asked. “He’s already furious with me. I doubt I can do anything to curb his anger at this point.” She turned on her heel and stormed up the wooden steps, Groves following close behind. She made her way across the deck swiftly, easily weaving in and out of the soldiers before her. She made her way into the corridor just outside of Beckett’s cabin. The two guards at the door blocked the door and looked hesitantly at each other.

“Lady Beckett, I’m afraid your husband isn’t to be disturbed,” the first guard said.

“I don’t care,” Lydia snapped.

“Milady, that’s not wise,” the second one said. Lydia tensed her jaw. Inside the cabin, she could hear the words of Jack Sparrow.

“Points to the thing you want most,” Jack was saying. “And that is not the Brethren Court, is it?”

“Then what is, Jack?” Beckett asked.

“Me. Dead,” Jack said. “Even if I were dead, it still wouldn’t point there. No… I strongly believe that it would point to your wife.” Lydia glared between the two guards, even as Groves finally appeared behind her. She took a deep breath and focused on regaining her composure. She would need a clear head when confronting Beckett. Especially with Kitty’s health and sanity on the line.

“Wisdom isn’t what’s on my mind right now,” Lydia said. “I have a feeling everyone on this ship knows exactly where my sister, Katherine Norrington, is right now. Suffice to say, I must have words with my husband on this matter. I don’t want my sister on that ship for any longer than necessary!” Did she need to raise her voice at these guards? No. She really didn’t. But she did need to make sure Beckett heard her every word. She needed him to know that she was outside his door and that she was furious.

“You may kill me, but you may never insult me,” she heard Jack said. Behind the door, she heard footsteps and the door opened. Beckett opened his mouth to speak, but the next moment there was a loud bang and the glass of Beckett’s windows shattered. Lydia let out a brief smile, knowing that it was the _Pearl_ that had to have fired those cannons. Beckett lurched backward, his small gun flying out of his hand and landing by Lydia’s feet. Jack grabbing Beckett’s other hand and said, “Done.” He turned around, slammed the glass doors into the faces of the two guards, and motioned for Lydia to follow him.

“Go, Jack,” Lydia said, picking up Beckett’s discarded gun. “I need to have a word with my husband.” Jack merely shrugged and then ran off. She glanced over at the now open windows. It was an easy way for her to escape, provided she could swim to the _Pearl_ fast enough. She walked slowly towards Beckett, the gun pointed at his head.

“Don’t worry, dearest,” Beckett said, slowly rising to his feet. “I know exactly what you wish to speak to me about. You were very vocal about your displeasure with Kitty’s current location. I’m certain the entirety of the ship could hear you. Unfortunately, with the impending escape of the _Black Pearl_ and the _Empress_ , I cannot afford to give up the _Dutchman_ for something as menial as returning a woman to Port Royal.”

“So nothing I promise or say could make a difference?” Lydia asked.

“No,” Beckett said. Lydia sighed and strolled over towards the window. “You have nowhere to go, Lydia. You cannot think that you’re able to escape me a second time.”

“But I think I can,” Lydia said, smirking at the water below her. She could practically feel the shifting of the waters as two ships moved through it. If she could manipulate a current right… Yes. This escape plan was definitely doable. “You forgot to take location into account.” Beckett furrowed his brow in confusion and then widened his eyes when the realization dawned on him. Lydia jumped out of the window and plummeted into the swirling blue ocean below.

Lydia felt the cold shock of the water embrace her as well as the familiar rush of power course through her veins. She opened her eyes, surprised by the fact that the salt water wasn’t stinging her eyes like they had in the past. Perhaps her body was simply getting more used to the ocean. A small part of her felt approval radiate from Thetis. She scanned the water around her, trying to find the bottom of the _Black Pearl_. Concentrating on finding it was difficult, given the bodies that had landed around her in the water and the booms of cannon fire. Ahead of her, she was able to see the darkened, barnacle crusted hull. She began to swim in that direction, consciously trying to manipulate the water around her to move her faster. After all, she now had to catch up with the fastest ship in the sea just by swimming. It was a near impossible task, but with how the current was moving around, she knew she could make it. It wasn’t as if she needed to worry about holding her breath, after all.

* * *

Barbossa was now locked in a fight with the lapdog himself, Mercer. Around him he could feel the smoke from the cannons. He smelled burning wood and gunpowder in the air as he swung his sword at Mercer. He brought up his leg and kicked his opponent clear in the stomach. Barbossa laughed, but immediately stopped when Mercer swung his sword at his stomach. The two clashed swords again. Barbossa was pushed back and then Mercer jumped off the ship, clearly fearing for his life against Barbossa. Once Mercer was overboard, it didn’t take long for his men to follow. Those that didn’t escape in time were killed before they reached the edge.

He smirked and then heard a loud cannon fire, followed by the screaming of Jack Sparrow. The rest of the crew paused and watched as Jack went soaring through the air. Barbossa rolled his eyes and walked across the deck. He paused after a few steps. Wait… if Jack was escaping, then where was Lydia? The rope slid into the water and the crew looked around for Jack. Barbossa turned his head and spotted Jack on the stern of the ship, leaning almost casually against one of the lanterns. “And that was without a single drop of rum,” Jack said. Alice emerged from the Captain’s cabin, waddling as fast as she could to Jack.

“Where’s Lydia?” Barbossa hissed as he sheathed his sword. “Hmm?”

“You need this line?” The crew all paused at the sound of Lydia’s voice. Yet she was nowhere on deck. Barbossa rushed over to the edge, as he heard Jack jump down onto the deck. There in the water, holding the rope that Jack had used to get to the _Pearl_ , was Lydia, her face covered in her markings. Barbossa let out a sigh of relief and turned to the crew.

“Cast a line for her,” Barbossa barked. Gibbs and Cotton nodded and rushed off to fetch a line. Pintel and Ragetti grabbed Will by the shoulders. Turner glared at Jack, and Jack back at Turner. Alice took her place next to her lover, Jack’s arm winding itself around her waist.

“Send this pestilent, traitorous, cow-hearted, yeasty, codpiece to the brig,” Jack ordered, his voice cold and steely.

“Nay, belay that,” Alice said. Jack looked at her in confusion and Alice continued, “The brig is Lydia’s domain and I’m not about to take that from her. I suggest locking him with the dead in the room that was once Elizabeth’s.”

“She’s gone?” Jack asked.

“Aye,” Barbossa said. “With Sao Feng. His price for helping us to escape.” He heard a loud scream and watched as Lydia was practically flung from the sea and onto the deck, where she landed on her right side with a hard thud. She let out a groan of pain as she sat up.

“To the storage room then,” Jack said. “And padlock it shut.” Pintel and Ragetti carried Will away to below the deck. Barbossa had a feeling that no one on this ship really cared about his fate or comfort any longer. He rushed towards Lydia and knelt down next to her, pulling her into a tight hug. She let out a hiss of pain and he pulled away. She was clutching her right shoulder. Of course… with that old wound, landing on her right side must have been painful.

“I’m fine, Hector,” Lydia said. “Rough landing. Hard swimming.” He took her face into his hands and kissed her hard on the mouth. Lydia grabbed onto his forearms, kissing him just as hard as he was kissing her. He pulled away and rested his forehead on hers.

“I was scared for ye, Lyddie,” Barbossa said.

“And I for you,” she responded. He moved away from her and took her hand, helping her rise to her feet. When Lydia was standing again, he finally noticed something… something that was making his blood boil. Her left cheek was red and slightly swollen. Barbossa lightly touched it, hoping it wasn’t what he thought it was. Lydia closed her eyes and looked down, as if she were afraid of his reaction.

“Did he do this?” Barbossa asked, his voice dangerously low. To hear about her mistreatment from Alice was one thing. To see it before his eyes…  Lydia nodded slowly and took a deep breath. Barbossa dropped his hand and clenched it into a tight fist. The fact that Lydia instinctively winced at the clenched hand told him more than he wanted to know. “Alice, take the helm for me,” Barbossa called out. “I think I need a moment.” He turned around on his heel and descended below the deck. As much as he wanted to console Lydia, he knew that he wouldn’t be able to right now. Not with how furious he was with Beckett and how he dared to treat Lydia.


	65. At World's End: Chapter 14

James Norrington frowned at the silhouette of the _Empress_ in front of him. Mere days ago, he’d been given orders to find and follow the ship by a very, very displeased Lord Beckett. The _Flying Dutchman_ had made it to the Black Sand Beach mere hours after _Black Pearl_ and _Empress_ had evaded capture. Many men were dead and the main mast of the _HMS Endeavour_ had been damage. It went without saying that Lord Beckett wasn’t happy with the situation in the slightest. When Beckett was unhappy, so was Davy Jones. When Jones was unhappy… it never bode well for James and his men. What had made everything worse was the fact that Beckett had ordered Mercer to remain aboard the _Dutchman_ to ensure that they captured the _Empress_ as ordered; as if James would ever go against Beckett’s orders with his wife’s and unborn child’s lives on the line. He was smart enough to not fight a man with all the cards in the palm of his hand.

His only comfort was those few moments a day where he would hear Kitty’s music on Jones’ organ. Everyone knew it had to be her playing when it wasn’t the repetitive, haunting melody that Jones always played day after day after day. If only there were a pianoforte or a harpsichord… then his wife would truly be able to lose herself in her music. He missed seeing her face whenever she was so enveloped in the music she was playing that everything outside of her seemed to disappear. He could remember the days that he escaped into her pure, uninhibited bliss. Of course, those days had long gone. Maybe they would return one day. Though every day that hope of the life he’d planned for him and Kitty were drifting further and further away.

The thumping of a familiar wooden-leg alerted James to the presence of the Davy Jones. The _Empress_ grew closer. Jones stared wordless at his next victim, his mottled green face not giving any indication as to what he was thinking. “Fire!” Jones called out once the cannons were within range. The first cannons fired at the _Empress_ while the Chinese crew scrambled to their own guns.

“Prepare to board!” James called out. Both Jones’s men and the soldiers of the East India Trading Company marines grabbed the seaweed-covered ropes and swung over the _Empress._ James watched as his men and Jones’s monsters battled Sao Feng’s crew. Not that he could see much under the cover of the night. He more heard the clashing of swords, the bangs of cannons and guns, and the battle cries echoing across the waters. James watched as a gangplank was lowered and his higher officers ran across, brandishing their swords. James took a breath and walked across wordlessly, ready to make whatever orders he needed to make and capture whoever remained alive. Once on the ship, however, he was greeted with the sight of a person he never expected to see on the _Empress._

It was his sister-in-law, Elizabeth Swann.

“Elizabeth,” James breathed out. Elizabeth gasped and fought her way out of the arms of the soldier holding her.

“James?” she gasped. “James!” She walked slowly down the stairs, almost stunned to see his face. He quickly enveloped her in a tight hug.

“Thank God you’re alive,” he said. “Your father will be overjoyed to know you’re safe. Is Alice alright as well? And Lydia?” Elizabeth’s face fell and her jaw tensed.

“My father’s dead,” Elizabeth said. James dropped his jaw and shook his head. What was she talking about?

“No,” James said. “That can’t be true. He returned to England.” Elizabeth’s expression morphed from shock into a harsh glare.

“Did Lord Beckett tell you that?” Elizabeth asked, her voice cold and steely. James looked down and shook his head. Had Beckett really lied to them about that? Had he truly killed his own father-in-law when he outlived his usefulness? James heard the thumping of Jones’ footsteps as he crossed over from the _Dutchman_ to the _Empress._

“Who among you do you name as Captain?” Jones demanded.

“Captain?” one of the men asked. He pointed to Elizabeth and said, “Her.” The rest of the crew nodded and immediately pointed towards Elizabeth. James stared at Elizabeth in shock. It was strange enough to even see her on this ship, but to learn that she’d been made Captain?

“Captain?” Jones asked, as if the crew were trying to trick him

“Tow the ship,” James ordered. “Put the prisoners in the brig. The Captain shall have my quarters.”

“Thank you, sir,” Elizabeth hissed. “But I prefer to remain with my crew.” She turned on her heel and stormed over towards her men. James grabbed her arm to stop her.

“Elizabeth,” James said. “I swear, I did not know.”

“Know what?” Elizabeth spat. “What side you chose? What side you dragged Kitty into?” She ripped her arm out of his grasp and stepped backwards to join her men. “Well, now you do.”

“She…” James gulped and shook his head. “She doesn’t know. She thinks her father is in England.”

“And where is she right now?” Elizabeth asked. “Do you even know?”

“Kitty’s here,” James said. Elizabeth widened her eyes in shock. “On the _Flying Dutchman._ She’s being kept in Jones’s cabin.”

“Beckett has her on the _Dutchman_?” Elizabeth asked. James let out a single nod as confirmation. “Is he insane?”

“And she’s pregnant,” James added on. Elizabeth tensed her jaw and looked down.

“Sir, would I be permitted to see my sister before joining my crew in the brig?” Elizabeth asked quietly.

“That can be done,” James said. He motioned for her to cross the gangplank onto the _Flying Dutchman._ He followed closely behind her, giving the illusion of being an escort while her crew was forced onto the ship after them. Kitty would be overjoyed to see Elizabeth. He absolutely knew it. But when she learned about what truly happened to her father… she would need both James and Elizabeth there.

 

* * *

 

Kitty hated the sound of cannon fire. She hated the sounds of gunshots and clashing steel, the sounds of screaming men (whether in victory or in pain)… she just hated the sounds of war. A war she helped to start by giving the Heart of Davy Jones to Beckett. This kind of life didn’t suit her. She wanted nothing more than to be in Port Royal with her son and her father. The door to the cabin opened and Kitty was fully expecting to hear the thumping of Jones’s peg leg and see his slimy, tentacled beard. Instead, she was greeted with a sight that she never expected.

Her husband was walking into the room, followed by her sister Elizabeth.

Elizabeth looked more worn but was adorned in beautiful Chinese silks. What on earth was she doing on the _Empress_ with Sao Feng? Where was Alice? Where was Lydia? Kitty couldn’t help but smile as she saw her sister, regardless of how unfavorable their situations were. She immediately rose to her feet and ran up to her elder sister. The two women clutched each other tightly. It had been so many months since they’d last met.

“How far along are you?” Elizabeth asked. Kitty pulled away and looked down at her slightly protruding stomach.

“Five months, we think,” Kitty said. She shook her head and smiled. “What on Earth are you doing here? I thought you’d be with Alice, trying to stop Lord Beckett?”

“I was,” Elizabeth said. “We went to the Locker to get Lydia and Jack.”

“The Locker?” Kitty asked. “You made it there and lived?” Elizabeth nodded slowly.

“We got them out,” Elizabeth said. “But… Kitty… when we were coming back… we saw… it was… Father was there.” Kitty furrowed her brow in confusion and shook her head. That was impossible. He was back in England. Lord Beckett had told her- No. No, that couldn’t be true. Her father couldn’t be… he wasn’t… She backed up against the wall of the cabin and shook her head.

“No,” Kitty said. She felt the tears begin welling up in her eyes. Elizabeth stood there, her eyes also filling with tears. “No it’s impossible. He’s in England. He has to be in England.”

“He’s not, Kitty,” Elizabeth said, now crying. Kitty collapsed to the ground, covering her face with her hand and she began to sob. “He’s dead. A-and he sends his love to you.” She closed her stinging eyes and shook her head. She didn’t want to believe it. She almost couldn’t. Yet deep down she knew Elizabeth was telling the truth. Her father was dead… and it had to be at the hands of Beckett. Or Mercer, on Beckett’s orders. She felt a hand on her shoulder, a hand she knew belonged to James. She clutched his hand tightly as she sobbed into his coat. The doors burst open and Kitty watched as two of James’ men grabbed her by the arms.

“She chose to go to the brig with her crew,” James told her. Kitty nodded and watched as Elizabeth left the cabin. She wasn’t fighting her removal. Perhaps she knew it was better not to. James knelt down next to his wife and held her as she sobbed. It was all that he could really do for her. Kitty prayed that the pirates would succeed in stopping Beckett. She prayed that Beckett would get every ounce of retribution that he deserved for all of his crimes… especially for the murder of her father. If only that damned heart didn’t exist. If only- Yet every what if and should’ve, could’ve, would’ve didn’t matter anymore. All that mattered was what was happening now and how she could change what was to come.

 

* * *

 

Alice stood next to Jack and watched as Tia Dalma guided Lydia below deck. Barbossa was beyond furious; anyone on the _Black Pearl_ could tell. Alice was fairly certain the last time she’d seen such a look of hatred and wrath on his face was when he was cursed by that Aztec gold over three years ago. “I feel bad for her,” Jack said. She looked up at Jack and nodded, rubbing her stomach subconsciously.

“The world will be a much brighter place when Beckett’s dead,” Alice said. “For all of us.” She felt a sharp twinge of course through her and she let out a hiss. She grimaced as she held onto the rail for support. God… these pains were getting worse by the day and Alice was entirely certain it was no longer just the baby kicking her hard in the pelvis. Jack was immediately at her side, one hand rubbing her back and the other touching her stomach. “I think Tia Dalma and I were off by a bit. I’m closer to nine months than eight. The baby’s going to come soon. Not today, I don’t think. But within the week. I’m certain of it.” Alice let out laugh and looked up at Jack. “She gets the terrible timing from you.”

“Me?” Jack asked. He let out a scoff and smirked. “Now I’m offended.” Alice rolled her eyes and regained her composure.

“The spawn is going to be a nightmare,” Alice said with a laugh. “Especially with our combined genes. He’ll never be calm for a day in her life.”

“What gender we on, again?” Jack asked. “Because you just switched three times in less than a minute.” Alice shrugged and looked out across the deck. She could almost picture their young child, running across the deck, being a wild and carefree child.

“I don’t know,” Alice said. “We won’t know for sure until he comes out. In Tortuga, when I was early on, all these different people tried to tell me I what I was having based on obscure things like the position of the sun and the moons and stars when I conceived or how I was carrying or how my age aligns with the month.” Jack was holding back a laugh, Alice could tell. It was laughable, all these superstitions of people who were so desperate to tell her whether or not she was having a boy or a girl. “One woman even told me something along the lines of if I eat carrots I’ll have a boy and if I eat strawberries I’ll have a girl.” Jack laughed and raised his brow.

“Strawberries for a girl and carrots for a boy?” he asked. “That sounds like some sort of prediction scheme _I_ would come up with.”

“I know, right?” Alice said with smirk. “I wouldn’t even ask for opinions. They’d just come up to me and start spewing this shit at me. Barbossa nearly choked a man that he thought came too close to me.” Jack mimicked vomiting and grimaced. Alice placed a hand on her hip and arched an eyebrow.

“What?” Jack asked. Alice rolled her eyes and sighed at her lover. No matter how much she cared about both him and Barbossa, she highly doubted either of them would ever really attempt to get along. At least not consciously.

“I know it’s a lot to ask,” Alice said. “But could you just at least attempt to tolerate him for me? He’s like a brother to me.”

“I question your judgment in friends, but I suppose…” Jack muttered. He paused and then shook his head. “Nope. Can’t do it. The stars aren’t in alignment for that.” Alice let out a huff and shook her head. Not that she really expected him to make the attempt. Barbossa _did_ lead a mutiny on him and then maroon him on a deserted island, then later tried to kill him multiple times while under the influence of an Aztec curse. Same with Barbossa; it was unlikely he’d ever really become friends with the man who shot him dead.

“Well it didn’t hurt to ask,” Alice said with a shrug.  “But you’re still not going to stop me from liking him. I hope you realize that.”

“Since when I have been able to stop you from doing anything?” Jack asked with a smirk. Alice laughed.

“You’re not wrong, Jack,” Alice said. “Neither of us has ever been able to stop the other from doing anything, regardless of how stupid said thing is. Not to mention our terrible luck. Remember the time I tried to get that girl for you?”

“Which one?” Jack asked. “The one that was married to that giant brute that nearly gutted me or the one that you ended up sleeping with instead?” Alice opened her mouth, but was cut off by Jack. “Or are we talking about the one with the scabies? Or the one who turned out to be in her seventies? Or the one-”

“So there have been a lot of times where I flirted with a girl for you and it did not work out how I expected it,” Alice quickly said. That list of times would have gone on for much, much longer. “And I recall there was more than one that I ended up sleeping with instead.”

“Aye,” Jack said. “That or we ended up sharing.”

“Not sure how we’ll be able to be that carefree once the spawn pops out,” Alice said, looking down at her stomach. She gulped and looked up at Jack. “I keep getting afraid that I’m not ready for this. I don’t like to talk about it, but… I’m so afraid I’ll mess this up to the point where…” Alice tensed her jaw and looked down, not wanting to think of how dire the consequences of her inadequacy could be. “And as for raising a kid on a ship.. I mean, we’re in battles all the time. Who knows what could happen and when and-”

“Al,” Jack said, taking her hand in his. “Listen to me. You’ll do fantastic. If I know you, you won’t let anything happen to our kid. Not to mention there’s an entire crew that’ll keep an eye on them. As for being raised on a ship, well, I turned out alright.” Alice arched an eyebrow. He was really using himself as an example of turning out fine? Jack seemed to make this realization as well and he grimaced. “So, maybe I’m not the prime example, but I’m not dead yet!”

“You… you were though,” Alice slowly pointed out.

“Aye, but not until far later in life than infancy,” Jack added. Alice let out a small smile and shrugged.

“Surprisingly, that’s actually very reassuring,” Alice said. “You always know how to cheer me up in the most unexpected ways possible.”

“Part of my charm, love,” Jack said, smirking almost flirtatiously at her.  Alice felt her face grow a bit hotter as Jack bent down to kiss her. Alice hugged Jack as tightly as she could with a bulging stomach in the way.  Suddenly a thought popped into her head. Lydia had been wearing Beckett’s clothes for all this time. If most of the contents of their cabin had survived, then Alice should have some dresses that girls in Tortuga had given her that would definitely fit Lydia. None of them fit Alice well, mostly because of height difference. Alice pulled away from the hug and turned around, making her way towards their cabin. “Al, where are you going?”

“To check on Lyddie,” Alice said, turning her head around to face him. “Besides, I figure she might want a change of clothes. Based on what I saw, my chest is still in the cabin. Hopefully nothing inside is too soaked.” Jack nodded and turned his attention back to the helm. Alice slowly descended down the stairs from the bridge. Hopefully she’d be able to find Lydia and Tia Dalma below deck quickly. She didn’t want to climb anymore stairs than she absolutely needed to.


	66. At World's End: Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I have a link to character inspiration playlists for Swanns of the Seas. If any of you have songs you wanna add, just send me the name of the song and who's playlist it's for.

Lydia still felt numb as Tia Dalma guided her below deck. From what she could tell, she was being led to Tia Dalma’s temporary quarters. The sea-witch very much had her own domain on the _Black Pearl_ from what Lydia could tell. In one corner of the storage room was her hammock; in another corner were her tools for divination and other magics. In the rest of the room, Lydia could smell the salted fish and other foods contained within the barrels waft about the air. “Let me get someting for dat,” Tia Dalma said, stroking Lydia’s wounded cheek. Even now she still felt the harsh sting of the slap and the lingering effects of the owner of the hand that struck her. Tia Dalma dug through her things, searching for what Lydia assumed was some sort of healing spell. In the back of her mind, she could almost hear Thetis ranting and raving about. At least she had the decency to keep it out of the forefront of Lydia’s mind; one of the few times Thetis would ever truly give her any sort of courtesy. Tia Dalma came back to Lydia with a small glass vial of some sort of greenish paste. She took a small amount of it out with two fingers and started to rub it onto Lydia’s swollen check. Almost at once, she felt the coolness of the paste and stinging of her cheek begin to disappear.

“You know who I am,” Tia Dalma said. “You know why dis kills me to see. Why it kills me to be trapped in dis form, unable to make dat man suffer as he should.” Lydia nodded and wrapped her arms around herself. She looked down at the nearly threadbare green coat she was wearing. These were _his_ clothes. Even after escaping the _Endeavour_ she couldn’t escape Beckett’s influence over her. What if her escape affected how he treated Kitty or James? What if Little James were in danger because of what she did? What if-

She felt Tia Dalma’s hand on her shoulder and looked up. Below them in the brig, she could hear the sound of something being thrown at the bars of the cells. Lydia winced at the clashes, knowing it had to be Hector. God, he looked so furious. He looked about ready to murder anyone who stood in his path. The last time she’d ever seen him look like that was fighting Jack on the Isla de Muerta, back when he was a cursed man. “Der was a time when I could have stopped dis, when no man would dare touch a daughter of mine.”

“Thank you,” was all Lydia could manage to say. Tia Dalma nodded and lightly rubbed Lydia’s shoulder.

“Thetis is not givin’ ya much trouble, is she?” Tia Dalma asked.

“She can be… you probably know more than I how she can be,” Lydia said. Tia Dalma nodded slowly and rose to her feet.

“Be wary of her,” Tia Dalma said. “Do not let her control you and do not trust everyting she tells you.” Lydia narrowed her eyes at Tia Dalma. She was telling her not to listen to her counterpart? Why? Lydia knew from the moment she figured out Tia Dalma was Calypso that she had to know more about Thetis and Nereids than her, but what had Thetis done in the past to warrant this warning? “She is one a’ de strongest of my daughters and also de most hungry. But so long as you are the dominant soul, she can do no harm. Keep her reigns tight.” She felt Thetis begin to emerge into her minds forefront. She’d clearly heard everything Tia Dalma had said. Yet Lydia felt a sense of confusion from Thetis, as if she had no idea what Tia Dalma was even talking about.

“I will heed your warning,” Lydia said. “But why warn me now?”

“Because in de world of de livin’, you have more control,” Tia Dalma said. “Yet de moment you feel vulnerable, Thetis can worm her way out. I suspect dat it is my presence dat keeps her in hiding.”

“She fears you,” Lydia said. “I saw it in her eyes back in the Locker.”

“Wit good reason,” Calypso replied. “But dere may be a time soon where you have to give her de control she desires.” _I have no idea what she’s talking about,_ Thetis said.

 _Are you lying to me?_ Lydia asked her counterpart.

 _No, I swear,_ Thetis replied. _But she may not be wrong, though. I don’t exactly remember everything I’ve done in each of my lives. Remember how I said part of me becomes you? Unfortunately that includes memories. With every vessel, I start to forget more of Thetis. I become more… well… everyone I’ve ever been. Calypso knows that. I don’t understand why she’s giving you this cryptic warning about me. I mean, right now I’m a disembodied voice that occasionally pops in your head. I can’t take over, as much as I’d like to sometimes._ Lydia heard footsteps on the other side of the room and watched as Alice appeared in the doorway. She felt Thetis’s influence disappear with the arrival of Alice and Lydia’s thoughts were completely her own again.

“Can I steal my sister?” Alice asked. She looked down at Lydia’s clothes and added, “I can probably do something about those.” Lydia nodded and rose to her feet, Tia Dalma’s words still weighing heavily in her mind. The entire time in the Locker, Thetis had shown that she was temperamental, but never dangerous. What else did she not know about her counterpart? Tia Dalma bowed her head to Lydia as she left to join her youngest sister. Alice placed one hand on her stomach and gripped the railing tightly as she began to ascend the stairs.

“I have never hated stairs more in my life than right now,” Alice muttered to herself as she mentally prepared to climb the steps. Lydia watched as Alice took a deep breath and began to climb. Lydia walked slowly next to her. She remembered what Kitty was like when she was pregnant with Little James. The least she could do was help guide Alice. “I don’t even understand this. I was fine with stairs three days ago.”

“We were in the Locker three days ago,” Lydia pointed out. Alice let out a ‘hmm’ and shrugged. “When are you due?”

“Could be now, could be two or three weeks from now,” Alice said. “At the moment, sooner is looking better than later. I have no idea how mum did this four times.”

“Kitty said the same thing when she was expecting Little James,” Lydia mused. She remembered those days when Kitty was carrying Little James, especially once the glow of pregnancy had faded. The last month was always the hardest based on everything Lydia had seen.

“At least it’ll be over soon,” Alice said. “I already love this child, but I’m so sick of carry him or her. You and Tia Dalma are already here and you both know more about childbirth than anyone else on this ship. If there were ever a good time for the spawn to decide to come out, it would be about now.”

“In the middle of a war on piracy?” Lydia asked. Alice winced and grimaced.

“Okay, so not the perfect time, but better than any time coming up,” Alice replied. Lydia couldn’t argue against that point. Right now would be the calmest times the _Pearl_ would see in the coming weeks. The last place she’d want to go into labor would be the middle of a battle.  They reached the top of stairs and walked onto the deck. By now, the crew had resumed their duties on the ship with Jack manning the helm while Hector was below. Lydia tensed her jaw at the thought of him. Part of her felt like it was her fault he was so furious. Part of her (more than likely the Thetis part of her) was telling her that it was stupid to think so. She wasn’t sure of what part of her she believed more, but the lingering guilt inside of her was giving her a fairly good hint. Alice opened the door to the Captain’s cabin and gestured for Lydia to enter with a sweep of her arm. Lydia stepped into the familiar cabin, immediately thinking of her first time on the _Black Pearl_.

“This is where Hector kissed me the first time,” Lydia said as Alice shut the door behind her.

“Aye,” Alice said. “He told me that story. Among others from when he was cursed.” Alice walked over to a chest and crouched down. She let out a grunt as she crouched down. Lydia stepped forward to help her sister, but Alice simply waved her away. “Now, I figured you want something more comfortable to wear. I mean, you’ve been wearing Beckett’s old clothes for how many months now?” Lydia pulled up a chair and watched as Alice rooted through the wooden chest. Alice frowned when she took out a dress from the box. “Damn… well, damp clothes are better than a twat’s clothes, right?” Lydia let out a laugh and nodded.

“Where did you get these?” Lydia asked. “I thought you abhorred dresses?”

“I do,” Alice said. “But they’ve definitely come in handy the past few months. Trouser and being with child don’t go well together.” She tossed the yellow dress to the side and shook her head. “No, these are dresses that some of the whores on Tortuga have given me. I wear them on occasion, but I think you’ll have more use of them than me. Most of them drown me because… well… I’m not exactly tall.” She pulled out a brown shirt and handed it to Lydia. “Fair warning, they might be a little more low cut than you prefer, but…”

“Alice, I’m not about to complain,” Lydia said. “Thank you.”

“What are sisters for?” Alice said with a smile as she handed Lydia a plum and maroon stripped skirt. A moment later, she was also given a dark maroon pierrot jacket. The plunging neckline of the shirt and the jacket weren’t what Lydia would normally don, but she’d rather have exposed skin than be in Beckett’s clothes any longer. Finally, Alice handed Lydia a brown leather belt, an item that probably belonged to Alice instead of the previous owners of the clothes Alice had just given her. “That should get you started nicely.”

“Thank you so much, Alice,” Lydia said. Alice nodded and started attempting to stand up. Lydia took her sister’s arm and steadied her.

“Thanks,” Alice said Lydia helped her to her feet. “I feel so useless right now. I can hardly even stand up on my own anymore.”

“It’ll be over soon enough,” Lydia said. “And you and Jack will have a son or daughter.” Alice smiled and looked down at her stomach.

“That makes it worth it, right?” Alice asked. “I should probably attend to my half of the ship. Perhaps you could calm Barbossa down? I haven’t heard any break within the past few minutes, so perhaps he’s a bit more level headed.” Lydia nodded and took a deep breath. Half of her was afraid to go down there while he was so furious, but the other half of her wanted nothing more than to be near him. Alice waddled out of the cabin and shut the door behind her. Lydia looked at the clothes before her and began to change, a sense of freedom coming over her with each garment of Beckett’s that she discarded and replaced.

Alice was right about the shirt being somewhat exposing, but Lydia found that she didn’t particularly care. In the corner of the cabin was a foggy, dirty mirror. After Lydia tied the belt around her waist, she took a moment to be vain and look at her reflection in the mirror. It was hard to see herself exactly, but she looked so much different. She didn’t look like Lady Lydia Beckett of Port Royal. She looked like Lydia Swann… a pirate. And it suited her. It suited her very well. Lydia smiled at herself as she touched the maroon fabric. Wasn’t it a maroon dress that Barbossa had outfitted her in three years ago? Lydia let out a snicker at the memory. It was almost funny how she had been disgusted by his touch back then yet longed for it now. She opened the cabin door and walked onto the sunny deck, leaving the green garments of Beckett behind her.

* * *

 

Hector Barbossa watched as his knife flew into the wooden beam in front of him. Around him were the shattered remains of an unused barrel that had been unlucky enough to cross his path on his way to the brig. The same thought was running through his head on an endless loop. _How dare he? How DARE he?_ He walked over to his knife and plucked it out of the beam, bits of wood coming out with the blade. He tossed his knife into the beam once again, stared at it for a moment, then tore it out, then repeated the entire cycle once more. He heard footsteps near the stairs to the brig. At the moment, he didn’t particularly care who it was coming down, unless it was Alice or Lydia.

He didn’t see the face of the person coming down the steps at first; only the unfamiliar plum and maroon striped skirt. A moment later, he saw that it was Lydia coming down. Alice must have found a change of clothes for her. The maroon color of the jacket reminded him of when he first met her. Back when he was a far crueler man. Was he still a cruel man? Definitely. His current mindset was perfect proof of that. But death had changed him for the better. Lydia pulled the jacket tighter around her, trying to hide the low neckline of her brown shirt. But even with how embarrassed she looked in those clothes, she looked more like a pirate now than any other time he’d ever seen her. And it suited her so well; even with the blush on her pale face and the way she had her arms wrapped around herself. Yet as he looked at her face, he could still see the glaringly bright red mark on her cheek, covered with only a thin layer of what looked to be one of Tia Dalma’s remedies.

“I-I’m sorry,” Lydia stuttered. “I-I should go-”

“No, Lyddie,” Barbossa said. His voice sounded worn, yet calm. “I’d actually prefer your company right now.” Lydia nodded slowly and walked tentatively down the stairs. She was afraid of him right now; that much was evident based on her body language. It killed him to see her afraid of him once more. She walked over to her hammock and sat down inside of it, not daring to get too close to him. Barbossa knew he could be very intimidating even without trying, but to see Lydia this intimidated by him… He took a deep breath and tossed his knife into the wood once again, imagining that somehow it could bring harm to Beckett in some convoluted form of voodoo. But he knew better; he knew all he was doing was ruining a perfectly good beam. A heavy silence hung in the air between them. Neither one of them seemed to know what to say to the other right now, yet even her mere presence gave him comfort.

“I’m sorry,” Lydia finally said. “I should have been more careful around Beckett.” Barbossa paused and stared up at Lydia incredulously. He shook his head and tensed his jaw.

“You’re not responsible for his actions,” Barbossa said. “Ye did nothing to cause…” he trailed off and tugged his knife out of the wood. “Do ye really think that anything you could have said would make a difference to that sadist?” Lydia looked down and shook her head.

“He’ll take it out on Kitty now,” Lydia said. “Both you and he are furious and it’s my fault.” She shook her head and tears began to stream down her face. “And I know it’s not my fault but I can’t stop feeling that it is. My sister could lose her child because of my defiance and that definitely would be my fault. Then for all I know, I could have contributed to my own father’s death-”

“Lydia, you’re not the cause of my anger,” Barbossa said, rising to his feet. “Beckett and this war are.” He reached out and wiped away her tears with his thumb. “Beckett’s actions are not yer fault, and they ne’er will be. Did ye tell him to murder yer father? Did ye tell him to strike ye? Did ye tell him threaten yer sisters?” Lydia shook her head and took a deep breath. “Even if ye went with his every desire, Beckett would still do what he wants. He would still do everything he’s done thus far. We can spend eternity consumed by what could have been. But we can’t. Right now, I don’t want ye to focus on the past. Ye need to focus on what’s coming.”

“I know,” Lydia said. Barbossa leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I’m scared, Hector. I could very well lose you again.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Barbossa said. Yet his bargain with Calypso was weighing heavily in the back of his mind. If he were unable to free her from her human form… He may not have much say in whether or not he was still on this Earth for her. “The clothes suit ye, by the way.” Lydia began to turn a pretty shade of red and seemed to shrink into herself.

“Alice,” was all Lydia murmured. Barbossa smirked and leaned down, capturing her lips with his own. He would never get over the feeling of lightness that he felt every time he so much as touched her. Lydia brought her hand to Barbossa’s cheek and kissed him back. She pulled away and rested her forehead against his. “We both just need time away from everything, I think,” she said.

“Aye,” Barbossa agreed. “Time and distraction.” Lydia nodded and let out a ghost of a smile. An idea hatched into Barbossa’s head. One that would help give both him and Lydia comfort. “Come with me,” he said, holding out his hand. Lydia furrowed her brow in confusion. “I’m going to teach ye to use a sword.”

“What?” Lydia asked, suddenly sounding worried.

“It’ll help clear yer head and it’ll give me comfort to know that ye can defend yerself,” Barbossa said.

“But I have the water,” Lydia said slowly. She raised her left hand and lifted a small column of water next to her. “Nereid? Ring any bells?”

“But what happens if we end up inland without the sea?” Barbossa asked. Lydia opened her mouth and then froze when she realized exactly how powerless she would be. “Exactly.” Lydia nodded in agreement and took Barbossa’s rough hand. He rubbed his thumb against the back of her smooth hand and led her out of the brig. Hopefully he could keep himself in check enough to not be _too_ harsh of a teacher.


	67. At World's End: Chapter 16

Lydia stared at the sword that Hector was holding in front of her that he grabbed from one of the barrels of weaponry on the deck. She looked warily at both it and the crew that was stealing glances at the two of them and snickering to themselves. Pintel and Ragetti hadn’t even bothered to hide the fact that they were watching them. They were just casually leaning against the rail and chucking to themselves. Alice was sitting casually on the steps to the bridge, smirking to herself. Even Jack was smirking to himself whenever he glanced down at the deck. “Hector, I’m beginning to rethink.”

“Too bad ye don’t have the option of sayin’ no,” Hector replied with a smirk. Lydia looked from the sword to Hector and gulped.

“I feel like I should be scared,” Lydia said, hesitantly looking around the deck.

“Aye, a bit,” Hector said simply. “Don’t worry, lass. I’ll go easy on you.”

“You’d better,” Lydia said, hesitantly taking the cutlass with her right hand. The curved blade felt strange to hold in her hands. It was definitely heavier than the water she was used to working with. She was almost immediately certain that this wasn’t going to go well at all. She’d seen Hector fight before and he was a phenomenal swordsman. She should be glad that he was the one teaching her instead of Jack or someone more mediocre. But that also meant that he would more than likely be a harder teacher than anyone else on this ship.

“Go Lydia!” Alice shouted. “Do the thing!” Hector turned around and shot a glare at Alice. She raised her hands defensively and went back to eating the piece of dried meat that was currently in her hand.

“Before I give ye any form in actual instruction, I want to see what you’re natural tendencies are,” Hector said as he drew his own sword. Lydia raised the sword in her hand and took a deep breath. “If I hurt ye, know that it’s not intentional.”

“Hector, you have years of experience. I’ve never held a sword in my life,” Lydia pointed out. “I completely expect that I’ll end up hurting myself. But better hurt than dead, right?”

“Exactly,” Hector replied with a smirk. “Ready?”

“No, but I’m not going to be any more prepared than I am now,” Lydia answered. Hector let out a laugh and started pacing around her, almost like a feral cat stalking its prey. Lydia was watching him careful, her eyes following his ever movement. Of course, she had to admit the snickers of the crew and the not-so-subtle passing of coins was a distraction for her. Finally, Hector lunged at her and she quickly raised her sword to block. The clash of the swords made her wince, but she had to stay calm and focused. Hector swung his blade again and again their swords clashed. Lydia found that she wasn’t thinking; every clumsy move of her sword was instinctual. She hadn’t realized, however, that she had been backing up until her back hit the mast. She ducked at Hector’s next swipe. She ran around to the other side of him and attempt to make a swipe of her own. He blocked it, obviously, but part of him seemed a bit distracted. Well, not distracted. It was more like he was focusing on something other than his own motions.

Lydia knew she’d made her biggest mistake when he spun around, clashed swords with her and knocked it clear out of her hands. It skirted along the top of the deck and she was left standing there, defenseless with a sword to her chest. Hector merely gave her his typical egotistical smirk and sheathed his own sword.

“Not terrible,” he said as he bent over to pick up her sword. “Not particularly great, but not terrible.”

“Ay, that’s a compliment coming from Barbossa,” Pintel called out. Ragetti nodded enthusiastically by his side. Hector shot both of them a harsh glare and let out a huff.

“Aren’t the two of ye supposed to be working?” Hector asked.  The two of them widened their eyes in fear and immediately went back to polishing the rail. He turned back to Lydia and handed her back the cutlass. “Your mind’s in the right place, but your execution is… I’m not going to honey-coat it. It’s clumsy, awkward, and somewhat painful to watch.” Lydia grimaced and let out small groaned. Just as bad as she thought then… “But you’re also not used to a sword, so I’ll attribute that as the cause of you clumsy swordsmanship. Not to mention you have to compensate for your shoulder.”

“So I’m not a lost cause then?” Lydia asked.

“Nay,” Hector replied. “I’ve seen worse.” He walked around her and motioned for her to raise her sword. “Your biggest issue right now is that you’re too stiff.” He took her arm and carefully readjusted how she was holding the sword. The weapon still felt awkward in her hand, but her entire arm began to feel more relaxed. The weight of the sword wasn’t so much in her wrists anymore as it was in her upper arm and shoulder. “Don’t grip the hilt as tightly. It’s not going anywhere unless I knock it out of your hand again.” Lydia nodded and loosened her grip slightly on the hilt of the blade. Hector nodded and adjusted the placement of her fingers on the hilt. He lightly kicked her feet further apart. “You need to be lighter on your feet. More relaxed.”

“Better?” Lydia asked as she adjusted her stance.

“Aye,” Hector said. “Now, ye tend to be a more defensive fighter than an offensive one. Ye only tried to strike me once. Every other time ye either blocked or dodged. That’ll keep you alive, yes, but it won’t win you any duels.” Lydia nodded and Hector stood behind her, taking her arm in his hand. He gently guided it through a slashing motion. “This is what it should feel like. Smooth, fluid, comfortable…” He let go of her arm and walked back around in front of her. With a gesture of his hand, it was clear to Lydia that he wanted her to attempt the swipe on her own. She went through the motion a few more times. Yet part of her still felt like the movement was awkward. Hector crossed his arms and studied her motions. He let out a ‘hmm’ and slowly paced in a circle around her, carefully watching her arm. Finally, he stopped in front of her and looked up. “Switch hands, Lyddie.” Lydia furrowed her brow in confusion.

“What?” she asked.

“Hold the cutlass in your left hand,” Hector repeated. Lydia wasn’t entirely sure what he was getting at with this, but abided by his requested anyway. She moved the cutlass from her right hand into her left. She did the sweeping motions he’d previously shown her. To her shock, it actually felt more natural in her left hand than it did her right. Hector smirked to himself and walked up to Lydia. “Ye should have told me you were left-handed, Lyddie. It would’ve saved some time.”

“But I write with my right hand,” Lydia said, tilting her head in confusion.

“Aye, but that’s not the hand you naturally gravitate to, is it?” Hector asked. “Now that I think about it, I should have noticed. You tend to use your left hand when you control water.”

“I do?” Lydia asked. She hadn’t even noticed that herself…

“Aye,” Hector said. “Fighting left-handed is your biggest advantage. Men are used to fighting a right-handed fight, not a left-handed one. Many don’t know how to compensate. Luckily, I’m not one of those men.” He drew his sword and assumed a ready position. “Ready?”

“Let’s see how this goes,” Lydia replied. Hector smirked and laughed before going in for the first strike. By the time they’d finished sparring many hour later, the sun was setting and Lydia felt nothing but soreness in her entire body.

* * *

Kitty sat in Jones’ cabin, unable to find sleep. Too many things were weighing on her mind right now. Her father, who was dead. Her sister, who was sitting in the brig. Her husband, unable to do much at all to help. Her unborn child, so vulnerable and defenseless. Little James, wrapped tightly in Beckett’s grasp. Herself, trapped with no way out. All of her thoughts were racing through her mind. Not even Jones’ organ could soothe the tides of fears and worries. At the moment, said man was sleeping at the organ, as he usually did on nights like these.

Her stream of thoughts was interrupted when the door opened abruptly.  She snapped her head over to the door, wondering who in their right mind would dare to barge in on Davy Jones. To her shock, it was none other than her husband that was standing there. “Katherine, come quickly,” he whispered to her. Kitty didn’t need to be told twice. She had no idea what he was doing, only that he was doing something. She slowly rose to her feet and crept out of the room as quietly as she could, her eyes never leaving the sleeping form of Jones. When she was out of the room, James shut the door softly behind him.

“What are you doing?” Kitty whispered.

“The right thing, finally,” James whispered back. Kitty furrowed her brow in confusion. However, once James had started leading her below the deck, it was clear what his intentions were.

They were breaking Elizabeth and her crew out.

And they were escaping on the _Empress._

Kitty stayed deathly silent after the realization had dawned on her. If this was going to work, all parties involved needed to be completely and totally silent. To their sheer luck, they passed none of the crew of the _Dutchman_ , nor did they run into Mercer or any other East India Trading Company soldiers. Kitty had never seen much of the _Dutchman_ outside of the deck and Jones’ cabin, but she knew enough about ships to know when they’d reached the brig. It was just like the rest of the ship; half-flooded and covered in coral, barnacles, and other sea flora. James took out his keys and unlocked the cell that her sister and her crew were in. All of them stared at the Norringtons in confusion. Elizabeth was glaring harshly at James.

“Come with me,” James said. No one move and he hissed out, “Quickly!” Elizabeth turned to the man on her left and nodded at him. The Chinese crew filed out of the cell one by one. Elizabeth strolled slowly to the bars of the cell, her expression still stony and suspicious.

“What are you doing?” Elizabeth asked.

“Choosing a side,” James replied. “We’re getting all of you out of here.” He turned to Kitty, squeezed her hand tightly, and looked down at her slightly protruding stomach. “All of you.” James rushed ahead, leaving the two sisters at the rear of the escape party. Elizabeth and Kitty looked at each other and followed the rest of the crew. They crept through the ship, making their way to the outer portion of it. They climbed onto the lower rear deck, where the towline to the _Empress_ hung in perfect reach. The men seemed to know exactly what to do and began to climb across the line, back to their ship and to their freedom. Once Kitty and Elizabeth had reached the line, James turned to them and said, “Do not go to Shipwreck Cove. Beckett knows of the meeting of the Brethren. I fear there may be a traitor among them.”

“It’s too late to earn my forgiveness, James,” Elizabeth said as she stepped towards them.

“I had nothing to do with your father’s death,” James said. “I loved him as you and Katherine did. But that doesn’t absolve me of my other sins. That doesn’t change the fact that I’m the reason Katherine’s trapped here as well.”

“Come with us,” Elizabeth said.

“I had planned to,” James said. He looked at Kitty and said. “I’m not leaving my wife a second time.”

“Who goes there?” All three of them spun around and watched as one of Jones’ men stared at them. He disappeared into the ship, likely to raise an alarm.

“We need to go, now,” Kitty said. James nodded and drew his sword. Elizabeth climbed up to the rope and began to go across. James helped Kitty up onto the rail and she grabbed the rope. “James, I’m not leaving until I know you’re on this line.”

“Katherine-”

“I’m not losing you again,” Kitty snapped. The pirate appeared around the corner, holding his own sword.

“Back to your station, sailor,” James ordered.

“No one leaves the ship,” the man said.

“Stand down,” James repeated. “That’s an order.”

“That’s an order?” he asked. The man seemed so confused, as if his mind was long gone. “Part of the crew, part of the ship. Part of the crew, part of the ship. Part of the crew, part of the ship!”

“James we need to go, now!” Kitty snapped. James nodded, sheathed his sword, and stepped up onto the rail. He grabbed the rope with Kitty and motioned for her to climb ahead. She didn’t climb too far when the man made their escape known.

“Quarters!” he shouted. “Prisoners escaping!”

“Belay that!” James shouted as he drew his pistol.

“James!” Kitty shouted. He gripped the rope tight and shot the portion of it in front of him. Kitty felt her entire stomach lurch into her throat as they fell into the water below. She held onto the rope, trying to stay afloat. She looked up and watched as James followed them into the sea. He swam up to her with one arm; the other was gripping his side.

“Katherine!” he called out. “Keep following the line.” Kitty nodded, kicking hard while gripping the line. She looked back at the ship, watching as the crew began to crowd around the rear deck. She looked up and watched as Davy Jones approached. The two of them met eyes and he gave her a single nod. She nodded back and then turned around, swimming through the rough waters towards the _Empress._ She understood their silent exchange very clearly; he wouldn’t chase after them. This would be the one favor he would ever grant her. Beyond this night, they were enemies and he wouldn’t hesitate to kill her if he saw her again. The crew disappeared back onto the ship and the _Dutchman_ sailed away, growing smaller and smaller with each stroke that Kitty swam.

The ocean churned beneath her. Her legs were growing sorer and sorer and her lower abdomen began to tighten almost painfully. _Please let my child survive this_ , Kitty prayed silently. _Please God, let them live._ By the time she’d made it too the _Empress,_ her arms hurt, her legs hurt, every inch of her hurt, but nowhere as much as her abdomen hurt. Elizabeth’s crew helped her climb into the junk and Kitty immediately collapsed onto the deck. James followed up behind her and kissed her hard on the mouth. When he pulled away, Kitty noticed that James was bleeding heavily from his side.

“I’ll live,” James told her as he kissed her forehead. “Just a scratch.”  Kitty wrapped her arms around her husband, holding him close to her. Kitty felt a rush of pain through her stomach and wrapped her arms around herself, letting out a howl of pain. James looked down at her and widened his eyes in horror, shaking his head. “You’re bleeding…” he said. Elizabeth knelt next to her sister and covered her mouth with her hand. As soon as she saw the tears in both Elizabeth’s and James’ eyes, she knew exactly what was happening. She didn’t want to believe it. She wanted to be wrong about her suspicions. But as she soon as she looked down and saw the blood staining her dress in the area between her legs, she knew.

She’d lost her unborn child.

Kitty felt the sobs shake her entire body and the heat of her tears stream down her face. James held onto her tightly, his own tears staining the collar of her dress. Next to her, she felt Elizabeth rubbing her arm, trying to provide what comfort she could for her sister. She didn’t register when exactly James and Elizabeth moved her to the Captain’s cabin. She could hardly see the grim, silent faces of Elizabeth’s crew. The only thing registering in her mind was _my child is gone, my child is gone_ …

* * *

Jack stared down at the broken padlock before him. Will hadn’t even bothered to make it look intact, it seemed. Alice stood next to him, her lips pressed together in a tight, thin line and her jaw tensed. “To be fair, we should have expected this,” Alice said. “I just want to know how exactly he broke the padlock in the first place.”

“Aye,” Jack said. “Now we know what you heard on deck last night.” Alice nodded somberly and sighed.

“So what do we do about tonight?” Alice asked.

“Wait for him,” Jack said. “After all, we still don’t know why he’s escaping only to return to pretend imprisonment, aye?”

“Aye,” Alice replied. “So then we wait tonight, see what he’s doing, then toss that treacherous twat overboard.”

“You’re more ruthless now,” Jack mused with a smirk. “Not sure it’s a good thing, love.”

“I’m only ruthless because he keeps dragging my loved ones into harm’s way for his own selfish gain,” Alice said. “Besides, you cross the _Pearl_ , you’re on my bad side and I typically want to hurt or kill people on my bad side.” She turned around and slowly made her way back up the stairs to the deck. Jack sighed, shook his head, and turned around. Alice may not have wanted the help he was about to provide her, but she certainly needed it. As long as he’d know her, she rarely asked for help.

“We catch ourselves a rat tonight,” Jack said as he rubbed Alice’s back. “And we don’t even need to lay out a trap.” Alice smirked her very attractive smirk at Jack as they stepped onto the deck. The sun was setting and the crew was beginning to descend below deck. Lydia and Barbossa looked as if they were finishing up her training for the day. She’d been managing much better today than she was yesterday, but that didn’t necessarily mean she was that much better of a swordswoman. Alice turned around and gave Jack a peck on the lips before waddling off into their cabin. Jack made his way to the bridge, ready to wait out that mutinous louse.


	68. At World's End: Chapter 17

Jack had taken to resting on bowsprit almost casually as he waited for Will to make his appearance. It was the dead of night now; no one was awake, save for him and Alice. Finally, Will crept onto the deck, a rope coiled around his should and carrying one of the bodies of the deceased East India Trading Company soldiers. Jack arched an eyebrow as he watched. So far, Will was unaware of Jack’s presence. Not that Jack really expected the oblivious lad to actually notice him. Will dragged the body across the deck, near one of the empty barrels. He grabbed the barrel and grabbed the rope. Jack observed as Will laid the body on top of said barrel and began to secure it with the rope. Now it was absolutely clear what Will had been doing last night; he was leaving a breadcrumb trail for Beckett to follow. Smart lad. Will cut the excess rope off of his final knot and stared at the knife in his hand. Jack supposed now would be the opportune moment to make his presence know.

“You escaped even quicker than I expected,” Jack said. Alice then walked out from behind the steps to the bridge and sauntered over to the fore. Will pointed his knife at Jack then glanced hesitantly behind him at Alice. “And for two nights too.”

“I’d be impressed if I didn’t hate your weaselly black guts,” Alice added as she leaned against the foremast.

“William…” Jack said as he stood up. He used the rigging to secure his balance as he made his way down the bowsprit. “Do you notice anything? Or rather, do you notice something that is not there to be noticed?” Will looked around and then the realization hit him.

“You haven’t raised an alarm,” Will said.

“Odd, isn’t it?” Jack asked. He pointed to the dead body tied to the barrel and added, “Not as odd as this. Come up with this all by your lonesome, did you?”

“I said to myself, ‘think like Jack,’” Will said. Jack grimaced and stared at the body in front of him. Seriously? He thought that Jack would actually do something like that?

“This is what you’ve arrived at?” Jack asked. “Lead Beckett to Shipwreck cove as to gain his trust, accomplish your own ends?” Alice shrugged and looked up at Jack.

“To be fair, it _is_ something you’d come up with,” Alice said. Jack rolled his eyes and shook his head.

“It’s like you two don’t know me at all,” Jack said. Will sighed and lowered his knife. “How does your dearly beloved feel about this plan?” Will looked down and stared into the black ocean below. “Ah. You’ve not seen fit to trust her with it.”

“Not surprising,” Alice added. “Seeing how you seem to trust no one but yourself with any of your selfish plots.”

“And you’re not selfish?” Will inquired.

“Mate, I know am,” Alice said. “That’s the difference between you and I. I own up to my selfishness. You hide it under a guise of heroics and chivalry.” Jack plopped down onto the deck and walked up to the other side of Will.

“I’m losing her, Jack,” Will said. “Every step I make for my father is a step away from Elizabeth.”

“Mate, if you choose to love your heart away, you’ll lose her for certain,” Jack said. “If I might lend a machete to your intellectual thicket, avoid the choice all together. Change the facts.” Jack suddenly got an idea in his head. He could manipulate Will into doing exactly what he wanted. “Let someone else dispatch Jones.” Alice’s head snapped towards Jack and she narrowed her eyes. That was when Jack realized he’d never actually divulged his desire to stab the heart to Alice. And that look in her eyes always meant he was in trouble. Always.

“Who?” Will asked. Jack widened his eyes and glanced over to Will. “You?”

“Well this is certainly news to me,” Alice said, crossing her arms.

“Death has a curious way of reshuffling one’s priorities,” Jack said. “I’ll slip aboard the _Dutchman_ , find the heart, stab the beating thing, your father goes free from his debt, you’re free to be with your charming murderess, and Alice and I have a happy life on the sea with our unborn child.”

“And you’re willing to cut out your heart and bind yourself to the _Dutchman_ forever?” Will asked.

“No mate,” Jack said with a smirk. “I’m free forever. Free to sail the seas beyond the edges of the map. Free from death itself.”

“You have to do the job though, Jack,” Will said. “You have to ferry souls to the next world. Or end up just like Jones.” Will motioned to an invisible beard. Jack hid his grimace. That was true… he didn’t want to end up with tentacles crawling out of his face.

“I don’t have the face for tentacles,” Jack said.

“Not to mention I don’t want to become a literal fishwife,” Alice added.

“But a mortal has to care for something, eh?” Jack asked. He suddenly had a moment of realization and took his compass off of his belt. If Will did his part right, Jack would see that compass again. He gave the compass to Will, who stared at it in confusion.

“What’s this for?” he asked. Alice stared at the compass and immediately caught on to what Jack was doing. He could see it in her eyes.

“Think like me,” Jack said. “It’ll come to you.”

“Goodbye now,” Alice said as she strolled up to Will. Both Jack and Alice gave Will a hard shove and he fell backwards into the sea. Jack kicked the barrel with the dead soldier into the ocean after him.

“My regards to Davy Jones!” Jack shouted. He turned around and strolled back onto the deck. Alice waddled next to him, her face drawn into a harsh glare.

“And when were you planning on telling me you wanted to become the next Captain of the _Flying Dutchman_?” Alice hissed. “What happened to ‘I trust you enough to tell you everything?’”

“It wasn’t that I didn’t trust you, love,” Jack said. “It’s that I didn’t want you to worry.”

“Jack, I worry about you constantly,” Alice snapped. “I always have and I always will. I trust you and your harebrained schemes, but this?” She let out a snort and shook her head.

“Don’t you want it too?” Jack asked, placing his hands on her shoulders. “To live forever? To roam the seas together for eternity?”

“Aye, but…” Alice trailed off and sighed. “But not like this. Not if I end up being part tuna fish or whatever and can only see land once every ten years. I know you think you’re gaining more freedom if you stab that heart, but… but I think that you’d just end up giving yourself heavier shackles.” Jack froze and frowned. Alice shrugged his hands off of his shoulders and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Good night, Jack. I trust you, but sometimes you make that hard. Especially when you don’t seem to trust me.” She made her way to the cabin and disappeared inside, shutting the door behind her. Jack walked up the steps to the helm, Alice’s words weighing heavily on his mind.

* * *

Elizabeth’s heart ached for her sister. She hadn’t seen her or James leave the cabin for the entirety of the night, nor for most of the day. Elizabeth had never lost a child before, but to even imagine losing one… it was something Elizabeth never wanted to experience. It was something she’d never wish upon even her worst enemy. They sailed for Shipwreck Cove, despite James’ warnings against it. It was the only way they could ensure that they met with the _Black Pearl_ and the other Pirate Lords. Elizabeth had that duty sitting on her shoulders now, as Pirate Lord of Singapore and the South China Sea.

James finally appeared on deck around noon. He was no longer wearing his coat or hat or wig. His messy brown hair hung in front of his face, shorter than it had previously been before the skirmish on the Isla Cruces all those months ago. His face was blank, void of any emotion except for sorrow. Elizabeth walked up to him and said nothing. “It… She… She was a girl,” James finally said after many moments of silence. “We named her Amelia. Amelia Grace Norrington.” Elizabeth placed a hand on James’ shoulder. He clenched his eyes shut and placed his hand over his mouth. He was holding back his emotions as much as he possibly could. He was doing his absolute best to stay strong, even as he veered dangerously close to his breaking point. He took a deep breath and looked up at Elizabeth. “Kitty hasn’t said more than three words at a time.”

“I wish I could take that pain away from her,” Elizabeth said.

“She needs you,” James said. “I need to do whatever I can on this ship to assist you. I need to clear my head, but your sister needs you.” Elizabeth nodded and pointed to Tai Huang.

“He’ll tell you what needs to be done,” Elizabeth said. James nodded and walked towards Tai Huang, his face still unreadable. Elizabeth nodded once to Tai Huang, who nodded back and began to direct the ship as if he were Captain. She opened the door to her cabin and entered, shutting it slowly behind her.

Kitty was sitting on the bed, staring blankly at the silk sheets, her arms wrapped around her legs. Her face was just as vacant as James’s, if not more so.  Her eyes were bloodshot and rimmed with red, her face still wet from her tears. Sao Feng’s two attendants must have given her a change of clothes. Instead of the pink dress she’d worn last night, she now wore a lavender, Chinese style tunic and a cream colored skirt. Elizabeth sat down next to her younger sister and wrapped her arms around her.

“How are you feeling?” Elizabeth asked.

“How do you think?” Kitty asked. “Empty… numb… A million other feelings I can’t name.”

“I’m so sorry,” Elizabeth said.

“It makes sense,” Kitty suddenly said. Her voice was flat, cold. Almost exactly the same tone that Lydia spoke in between the time she left the Isla de Muerta and the time she returned from Davy Jones’ Locker. It hurt Elizabeth to hear. “Why I lost her. Why I lost Amelia. Looking back, I think I knew she wasn’t going to survive this war. I think Beckett knew too. I don’t think he intended for either of us to survive. I think he fully intended to kill me when I was no longer of use to him.” Elizabeth said nothing and wrapped her arms tighter around her sister. “My only comfort is that I know Little James is safe. Beckett would never harm him; he favors him too much.” Kitty turned to Elizabeth and said,  “For what it’s worth, I’m glad you’re safe.”

“I’m glad you’re safe too,” Elizabeth replied. “Where is…” She couldn’t find it in herself to ask the rest of the question. Kitty looked over to a orate box on the desk in the room. The small, foot and a half long box’s presence exuded a heavy aura.

“The two girls put her in there,” Kitty said. “James and I are going to bury her at sea once we reach Shipwreck Cove. She can be at peace, you know? We don’t know if we’ll tell Little James about her yet. We’ll figure that out if we make back to Port Royal.”

“We’ll all make it back,” Elizabeth said. “I’ll do what I can to ensure it.”

“Nothing is certain, Elizabeth,” Kitty said. “We could all die in the next few minutes should God will it.” Elizabeth looked down and tensed her jaw.

“What do you need from me?” Elizabeth asked. Kitty shrugged and started tearing up again.

“To just be here,” Kitty said, holding back her sobs. “To be my sister.” Elizabeth felt herself begin to tear up and nodded, pulling her sister closer to her. They didn’t say anything to each other for the rest of that afternoon. They simply clung to each other and grieved. They grieved for Kitty’s child, they grieved for their father, they grieved for the lives already lost to Beckett and the lives they would lose in the coming week. She didn’t care about the shipful of men that needed their Captain; Tai Huang could do that job well enough on his own. She only cared about being there for her sister in need. And in a way, Elizabeth needed her sister as well. To cope with losing Will, to cope with the guilt of killing Jack and lying to Alice about it, to cope with watching Sao Feng die before her eyes. She just wanted this war to be over, because the toll was too much to bear anymore for either of the Swann sisters.

* * *

Lydia let out a grunt as she fell hard against the deck. Her sword flew from her hand, sliding across the deck and to Pintel’s feet. So far her second day of sword-work wasn’t going too well. Was it better than the previous day? Definitely. But she wasn’t progressing as fast as she wanted to. She wasn’t progress as much as Hector wanted to either; she could see it in his eyes. “That wasn’t too horrible this time, Lydia!” Alice shouted from her spot on the stairs.

“Didn’t I say that we could do without the commentary, shrimp?” Hector asked, shooting her a harsh glare. Hector had been less than pleased that morning when he’d learned that Jack and Alice had thrown Will overboard with the one of the dead bodies he’d been using to leave a trail for Beckett to follow. Especially since neither of them had bothered to consult him on the matter. With Jack that would have been completely expected. With Alice, though… he at least would have expected Alice to speak with him on the matter beforehand. Gibbs had mentioned to Lydia off-handedly that today was one of the only days that he could truly recall Hector being angry with Alice. 

“Aye,” Alice replied. “Doesn’t mean that I’ll listen.” She let out a small grunt of pain, swore under her breath, and rubbed her stomach. Her child had been extremely active for the entirety of the day, at least from Lydia had noticed. Alice didn’t seem too bothered by that much activity, though. In her own words, she claimed it was her child jumping for joy now that Will Turner was no longer on the _Pearl._

“You’re favoring your right foot again,” Hector said, helping Lydia to her feet.

“Damn,” Lydia muttered to herself.  She walked over to her fallen cutlass and picked the weapon back up. “But did anything else get any better at all?” Hector paused, as if he were thinking. Lydia let out a huff and raised her sword. “Alright then.”

“To be fair, you are slowly improving,” Hector said. “In a very general sense of the word, that is.”

“It’s a good thing I don’t have much of an ego to wound,” Lydia replied with a small smirk. “If it were as large as yours, well…” Hector rolled his eyes and let out a scoff.

“Is that Lydia Swann actually joking?” Alice called out with a smile. Lydia rolled her eyes at her youngest sister. Though Alice did have a point; Lydia couldn’t remember the last time she had _fun_ like this. It had to have been years and years ago. She was pulled out of her thoughts when Hector lunged at her. Lydia blocked the blow and slid her blade across his, now with the length of the blade at Hector’s neck.

“Aye, that might work,” Hector said. “But look down.” Lydia glanced down and saw that his own sword was now right by her hip. “There go your guts.”

“Damn you,” Lydia muttered as she moved her blade.

“I’d prefer not to be damned again,” Hector replied, returning to a ready stance. “Not too pleasant of an experience the first time.”

“Believe me, I can empathize,” Lydia said, bringing her sword up. “Although, the Locker _is_ more akin to Purgatory than Hell.”

“I won’t argue that point,” Hector said, pacing slowly around her. Lydia mimicked his footwork, as he’d taught her yesterday. “Both are absolutely shit in their own special way.”

“Indeed,” Lydia responded. He hadn’t made the first move yet, like he usually did. Was he waiting for her to attack him? Or was he simply sizing her up and psyching her out? Lydia’s grey eyes scanned him carefully from head to toe, search for any indication of his intentions or desires. Yet Hector Barbossa was a very hard man to read, even for her. His face very rarely, if ever, betrayed his true thoughts. He’d truly mastered the art of concealment. Finally Hector struck, swiping his blade at her at an angle she didn’t expect at all. She dropped her sword to block the blade. He continued his ruthless onslaught and Lydia could do nothing but block, over and over. Finally, she saw an opening; a way to get a hit on him. She sliced forward, but Hector stepped effortlessly out of the way, spun around behind her, took her left arm by the wrist and held his sword to her neck.

Damn that man.

“That was the best spar yet,” Hector whispered into her ear.

“You’re enjoying this too much, aren’t you?” Lydia asked, craning her neck to look him in the eye. Hector let out a chuckle and kissed the nape of her neck. She felt her breath catch in her throat and she closed her eyes, welcoming the embrace. When he pulled away, she opened her eyes and was immediately greeted by his teasing smirk.

“More than likely, yes,” Hector said. Over by the helm, Lydia could hear the sound of Jack overdramatically gagging. Hector let go of Lydia’s wrist and rolled his eyes at the other Captain. Lydia shot a glare at Jack, who didn’t look the least bit sorry for his dramatics. Suddenly, Alice let out a loud cry of pain and gripped the wood of the steps so tightly that Lydia could see her knuckles turn white. Jack’s expression immediately went serious as he rushed over to Alice.

“Love, are you alright?” Jack asked.

“No,” Alice hissed, her face twisted in pain. “I’m not. I think going into labor.” Suddenly, it was if the entire _Black Pearl_ went completely still. Hector and Lydia dropped their swords and exchanged glances with one another.

“How do you know?” Jack asked.

“Because my water just broke and everything hurts like hell,” Alice snapped. “I don’t know what labor pains are supposed to feel like, but with this consistency I imagine it’s exactly like this.”

“I’ll get Tia Dalma,” Lydia said.

“I’ll help Jack get her to the cabin,” Hector said. Hector immediately rushed to Alice’s side, helping Jack to get her from the middle of the stairs to the Captain’s cabin. That would probably be the only time those two would ever willing work together. Lydia ran as fast as she possibly could below deck and into Tia Dalma’s domain. The woman was already gathering a heap of rags into a bucket. It was clear she’d already heard.

“Take dat up dere,” Tia Dalma instructed. “I need a few more tings.” Lydia nodded and rushed back up to the deck. The entirety of the crew of the _Black Pearl_ was in for a long night tonight, but no one as much as Alice would be.


	69. At World's End: Chapter 18

Alice had no idea how long she’d been on that bed, curled up on her side with her arms wrapped tightly around herself. It had to have been hours; she’d slowly been getting glimpses of the sunset each time the cabins doors opened and closed with the arrival and departure of either Lydia or Barbossa. Jack had yet to leave the cabin. For the past few hours, he’d been there to rub her back and shoulders as each wave of pain came over her, each time more intense than the last. She could barely register the words of comfort he was whispering into her ear. Tia Dalma sat on Alice’s other side, pressing a wet rag to her forehead and wiping away the beads of sweat already forming.

The door opened again and Lydia entered, carrying a bucket full of fresh water. Based on what Alice had gathered, she’d been lifting directly from the sea and into the bucket rather than taking anything from their non-existent water supply. “Tank you,” Tia Dalma said, handing off the bucket of old water. Lydia nodded and sat on the bedside next to her sister.

“How are you doing?” Lydia asked.

“I certainly know why they call it labor,” Alice muttered almost breathlessly. It felt like it was impossible for the muscles in her abdomen to relax enough to take in any decent breaths. “How in the hell does any woman do this?”

“Why does any mother do anything for their child?” Lydia asked with a small smile. Alice looked up at her sister. The gauntness of her cheeks and small bags under her grey eyes weren’t lost on her. Lydia had better not be exhausting herself on Alice’s behalf… “Have you attempted walking around? I know what helped Kitty.”

“I’ve been tryin’ to tell her dat,” Tia Dalma said. “She won’ listen.” Alice growled and shot a glare at the swamp-witch.

“I can’t even stretch out right now,” Alice snapped.

“Then try sitting up at the very least,” Lydia said, placing a hand on her sister’s shoulder. Alice let out a huff and started to prop herself up onto her elbows. Both Jack and Lydia took her arms and helped Alice into a sitting position.  Another wave of pain shot through Alice and she winced. “Breathe, sweetheart.” Alice let out small smile at the old term of endearment.

When they were younger, Lydia would call Alice “sweetheart” all the time as a way to comfort her after one of Father’s scoldings. Granted, Alice _did_ deserve every single scolding she received, but Lydia had always managed cheer up her youngest sister. When Alice was sent to be with no supper, Lydia would bring her a roll of bread or some other small, concealable food and say, “Here you go, sweetheart.”

“How late is it?” Alice asked.

“It’s nighttime,” Jack said.  Alice took a deep breath and nodded.

“Do you need anything to eat?” Lydia asked. “I can run below and get you something.”

“No, I’m fine,” Alice said. She took her sister’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “Lydia, you’ve been running around for hours. You need to rest.”

“Alice-” Lydia started to protest. The creaking of the opening door stopped her in her tracks. Standing in the doorway was Barbossa, now leaning against the doorframe and crossing his arms.

“Shrimp’s right, Lyddie,” Barbossa said. “You need rest. It’s at the very least past midnight. Most of the crew’s already below.” Lydia looked from Alice to Barbossa and nodded.

“Promise me you’ll walk around some,” Lydia said, turning back Alice. Alice sighed, knowing that Lydia wasn’t going to let this go.

“Alright, fine,” Alice said. “You all win. Jack, help me up. Lydia, go to bed. You heading below too, Barbossa?”

“Aye,” Barbossa said. “Cotton’s at the helm, Sparrow.”

“Aye,” Jack replied. Barbossa held out his hand and muttered a short, “c’mon, love” to Lydia. She gave Alice at tight hug and then stood up, taking Barbossa’s hand and disappearing out of the door. Jack wrapped his arm around Alice and helped her get to her feet. She was slowly led onto the deck. As much as Alice hated to admit it, the slow walking was actually helping her. Was all of her labor pain gone? Not in the slightest. But the slow steady steps around the deck did seem to help her.

“Thank you, Jack,” Alice said softly. Jack smiled and rubbed Alice’s back.

“Anything for you, love,” Jack said. Another sharp cramp shot through Alice and she hunched over, hissing from the pain. Her eyes started to get even more watery than they already were. “I wish I could make it easier on you.”

“You doing more than enough to help,” Alice said with a grimace. Another wave of pain shot through her and she let out a yelp. “Damn it, child,” she hissed under her breath. “I’m not sleeping tonight…” As much as she was complaining, though, she knew in the end it would all be worth it. In the end of this labor, she would have a little Sparrow in her arms.

“It’s a good thing I plan on staying up with you, aye?” Jack said.  Alice let out a small smile and shook her head.

“Jack, I’m not going to make you-“

“Al, there will be no arguing the point,” Jack interrupted. “You’re stuck with Tia Dalma and me all night. Anything you need, I shall provide.” Alice let out laugh, a laugh that immediately made her wince in pain as another contraction shot through her abdomen. She gripped Jack’s hand so tightly, she knew she left nail marks in his palm.

“Thanks,” Alice breathed out.

“Like I said, anything for you, love,” Jack said. He pressed a kiss to her temple and continued to keep her steady as she wandered slowly around the deck. Just as Alice had predicted, she didn’t get a single lick of sleep that night. The pain made it impossible. But it was all going to be worth it; she knew it.

* * *

 

Lydia’s eyes fluttered open as the early rays of sunlight began to shine through the porthole. Sleep actually came fairly easily to her for the first time since before the Locker. She looked down at her left hand, the hand that was loosely intertwined with Hector’s hand, and smiled. Now it was clear why she hadn’t had a single nightmare that night. She felt a rush of warmth creep through her face. She let go of Hector’s hand, trying not to disturb him as she unlaced her fingers from his, only for him to tightly grip her hand a moment later. Hector’s eyes slowly opened and he let out a ghost of a laugh. “Didn’t think ye could slip away that easy, did ye?” he asked.

“I just didn’t want to disturb you,” Lydia replied with a smile. “I’m not the only one on this ship that needs rest.”

“Aye,” Hector said, lazily rubbing his thumb on the outside of Lydia’s hand. The simple action sent fire through her veins. “But ye ne’er disturb me.”

“You won’t be saying that for long with my sleeping habits,” Lydia replied. Hector let out his distinctive chuckle and shook his head.

“Tell ye what,” he said. “If you can put up with me snoring, I can put up with your early rising.” Lydia chuckled back and gave his hand a small squeeze.

“Truth be told, I’ve never noticed the snoring,” Lydia said. “I’d accept your deal, but I know better. Your reputation precedes you, after all.”

“Fair enough,” Hector replied with a smirk. “I’m curious about how you’ve not noticed that. Alice complained about it all the time. Threatened to shoot me on more than one occasion.”

“I could see her doing that,” Lydia said. She looked up above her, wondering how her youngest sister was doing. It couldn’t have been an easy night for her; not by a long shot. A loud yell sounded from above. She had to be nearing the second stage of labor. Of course, that was the exact moment when her mind decided to point out that Alice likely knew Hector far better than Lydia did. Lydia furrowed her brow as she slowly came to the realization that she didn’t know much about the man she loved, outside of the fact that he had a monkey, he was a Pirate Lord (which she was unaware of until their reunion) and that he liked green apples, She was pulled out of her thoughts by the sensation of his other hand lightly stroking her cheek. She looked up and was met with his sea-blue eyes.

“What is it, Lyddie?” he asked.

“I just realized I know next to nothing about you,” Lydia said. Hector shrugged and leaned back into his hammock.

“I doubt Jack was inclined to talk about me,” Hector said. “I’ve had the luxury of hearing stories about ye from Alice.”

“Now I’m worried,” Lydia replied with a small shudder. “What all has she told you from my mousier days?” Hector let out chuckle.

“A few entertaining stories about her stirring up trouble a child,” he said. “I seem to recall one in particular about some frogs?”

“Oh God…” Lydia moaned. She grimaced at the memory of that particular joke that Alice had decided to play on her. It was the reason she checked her bed every night for years.

“Whatever ye want to know, ask away,” Hector said.  Lydia let out a ‘hmm’ and stared the wooden beams above her, digging through all the possible questions she had about him. Did she need to know every little thing about him in this very moment? No. But she did need to figure out what was most important to her.

“How old are you?” she finally asked.

“Ye sure you wanna know that?” Hector asked. Lydia widened her eyes.

“Is there that much of an age difference?” she asked. Hector let out a chuckle, a chuckle that immediately made Lydia worried about the answer.

“How many years do ye think are between Jack and Alice?” he asked.

“Fifteen, sixteen?” Lydia guessed.

“It’s sixteen,” Hector said. He smirked at her and then asked, “Do ye think our age gap is less or more?” Lydia let out a half-groan, half- laugh and clenched her eyes shut.

“Oh God…” she muttered. She opened her eyes and turned to look at Hector, who was still looking far too pleased with himself. “Please tell me it’s less.”

“It’s not,” he replied, clearly holding back laughter. Lydia winced and swore under her breath,

“How much worse?” Lydia asked. Hector paused and took a deep breath, as if he were preparing himself for Lydia’s reaction.

“There’s eighteen years between us, Lyddie,” Hector finally said. Lydia quickly did the math in her head and dropped her jaw.

“You’re forty-three?” she asked.

“Aye,” Hector said. Lydia let her head fall back against the hammock as she laughed. She wasn’t even trying to attempt the grimace on her face. Next to her, Hector was now completely unable to hold back his own laughter. “That’s alright, innit? The age difference?”

“Hector, our age gap isn’t going to change the fact that I love you,” Lydia replied, brushing her thumb on the outside of his calloused hands. “I just had no idea it was that significant and I feel completely awkward about how I’m reacting...” Lydia giggled again and shrugged. “I have no idea why I’m laughing so much.”

“Would ye rather move on to your next question?” Hector asked, his own laughter finally dying down.

“Yes, please,” Lydia said with a smile. “The awkwardness is too much to bear.” Her own giggles finally started to die down as she thought about what she would ask him next. Finally, one question that she’d always been curious about popped into her head. “Why do you love apples so much?”

“Why do I love apples?” Hector asked. “I didn’t expect that one…” He stared up at the ceiling for a few moments, as if he were collecting his thoughts. “It reminds of when I was a boy living in the West Country. I was raised on a farm outside of Bristol. I hated living on that damn farm.” He let out a snort and added, “Me mother and I had nothing. But some days she’d manage to get a bright green apple for the two of us to share. Twas one of the rare joys of me childhood.”

“Is that why you became a pirate?” Lydia asked.

“It’s why I ran off to sea when I was thirteen,” Hector replied. “I was tired of living with nothing. It was only afterwards when I realized that breaking the rules would give me more of what I wanted. That’s when I took me first ship, one thing led to another, I became a Pirate Lord, I died, I was resurrected, and now here we are.”  

“You can’t just end that there,” Lydia snapped. “I want to hear more.”

“Aye, I know ye do, lass,” Hector said with a laugh. He brought her hand up towards his face and pressed a kiss on the back of it. “But if I tell ye all me stories now, there won’t be any for me to tell ye after this war.” Lydia let out an almost sad smile and looked down.

“Do you really think we’ll live that long?” Lydia asked. Hector lightly tilted her head to face him and then stroked her cheek with the back of his hand.

“I know we will,” Hector said. “We’re tough, you and I. You’ve survived so much already; the Locker, Beckett… me three years ago. And I somehow survived being dead for two years.” Lydia let out a small chuckle at that. “We’re both getting out of this alive. I’m making damn sure of that.”

“You know I just worry,” Lydia said. “I’ve seen firsthand what Beckett is capable of and… I can’t lose anyone else that I care for to that man. I couldn’t handle it. And if we lose… I’m honestly not sure whether or not dying is worse than what Beckett would have in store for me.” Lydia took a deep breath and shook her head. “I’m sorry, I feel like I end up brooding at some point or another every day.”

“Yer allowed to brood, love,” Hector said, still stroking her cheek with his hand. “One way or another, I’m convincing the Brethren Court to act. Everything will turn out in our favor in the end.” He leaned over and pressed a kiss to her lips.  “Trust me. I know what I’m doing.” Lydia nodded and gave Hector a quick peck.   

“You know I do,” Lydia said. “Well… most of the time anyway. You _have_ made very questionable decisions in the past.”

“Name one,” Hector challenged. Lydia deadpanned and let out a scoff.

“Hector, I can name several,” Lydia said. “Touching that Aztec Gold, killing Bootstrap Bill, literally sailing off the edge of the world on the off-chance it would get you to Davy Jones’ Locker…”

“Aye, the first two didn’t go in me favor,” Hector said. “But that last one was well worth it. The reward far exceeded the risks.”

“Even though you brought along Alice?” Lydia questioned.

“That was her decision,” Hector said, “After all, she was going after Jack just as I was going after you. Tell me that she wouldn’t have thought the risks involved were worth the chance to save her lover?” Lydia was about to answer that question when she heard the rush of footsteps come down the creaky wooden stairs. Gibbs looked half-exasperated by the time he reached the bottom of the stairs and leaned against a beam, breathing heavily.

“Tia Dalma said it’s nearly time. The babe’s crowning,” Gibbs managed to get out between breaths. Both Hector and Lydia immediately sprung out of their hammocks and started to race up the steps to the deck. There was no possible way that Lydia wasn’t going to be there for Alice as she went through the toughest, most painful portion of her labor.

* * *

 

 Everything between her legs felt like it was burning. Sweat was pouring down her face and her shivering body. She wasn’t cold, but she couldn’t stop herself from shaking. Jack was pressing a wet rag to her forehead, wiping away the large beads of sweat that she knew was there. She smelled her own blood, her own sweat, her own vomit… nothing in that cabin smelled nice and part of her honestly felt bad for Jack and Tia Dalma. Her body felt so heavy yet so weightless. It didn’t even feel as if she were in her own body anymore. It was as if her soul was lingering out the outside of her, watching herself go through this labor.

The door opened and, through her hazy vision, she saw Lydia rush into the cabin. She took a place on Alice’s other side and gripped her hand tightly. “Hector’s on deck. He knew he’d be of more use there than in here,” Lydia said. Alice nodded and let out whimper as more pain shot through her. She felt like she didn’t even have the energy to scream in pain. She wasn’t even entirely sure she’d have the strength to deliver this baby at this point.

“You need to push,” Tia Dalma ordered. Alice let out a loud scream and pushed, squeezing Jack’s and Lydia’s hands so tightly that she was sure she was hurting them. Not that she particularly cared at the moment. Alice stopped pushing and fell almost limply against the bed, her breathing raggedly and shallow.

“I can’t do this,” Alice breathed out. “I can’t do this…”

“Yes you can, love,” Jack said, pressing a kiss to her sweaty temple. “You can do it. They’re nearly out.” But Alice didn’t feel reassured. Tia Dalma gave a single nod.

“Again,” she commanded. Alice let out another blood-curdling scream as the pain shot through her. It felt like she was nearly being torn into two. She felt it in her legs, she felt in her back, she felt it in her stomach… That was when Alice leaned over for the sixth time during that labor and threw up. It was a good thing they’d put that empty bucket on her left. Though it hadn’t yet been emptied. The taste of bile lingered in her mouth as she collapsed against the pillow. How did women do this?

“Fuck…” Alice breathed out. Lydia rubbed her shoulder in an attempt to soothe her. Alice moaned loudly as she felt the pain go up her stomach. Hot tears stung her eyes. She was exhausted, she was starving, she was nauseous, and she just wanted this baby out of her already. She had to be close though. She _had_ to be. “How much more?”

“One more,” Tia Dalma said.

“You’re doing fantastic, Alice,” Lydia said.

“Now,” Tia Dalma ordered. Alice pushed once more, letting out the loudest howl of pain she’d ever let out in her entire life. The fiery sensation between her legs grew more intense; like someone had lit gunpowder down there. She felt the baby move through her. Yet when she finished pushing, she still felt her baby inside of her. “I lied; one more.”

“Fuck you,” Alice hissed. The wave of pain shot through her once again.

“Now!” Tia Dalma called out. Alice pushed as hard as she possibly could. She was pushing past the burning, stretching sensation. She was pushing past the sweat, the tears, the blood, the stench. She felt a sensation of relief as the baby finally slid out of her and into Tia Dalma’s waiting arms. Alice collapsed against the bed, practically hyperventilating. It was over. It was finally over. Lydia moved over towards Tia Dalma and helped her clean off the baby. The baby then finally let out its first cries. Alice looked up at Jack and couldn’t back her own smile. Jack was smiling back at her and gave her hand a squeeze. Lydia was smiling uncontrollably when she looked back toward Alice.

“It’s a girl,” Lydia said. “And she’s beautiful.” Alice couldn’t help but start smiling. She was in so much pain right now, but knowing that her daughter was born and healthy and beautiful… it made everything she’d just went through so worth it. Every tear, every bead of sweat, every single drop of vomit she’d thrown up, and every drop of blood she’d shed. Tia Dalma took her knife and offered it to Jack.

“You wan’ to cut da naval string?” she asked. Jack seemed at a loss for words as he took the knife from her. Alice didn’t feel anything as the naval string was cut. Finally, Tia Dalma walked over to Alice, holding her daughter in her arms, and setting her in Alice’s own arms. Alice felt herself start crying once again as she looked into the eyes of her crying daughter. Jack was still speechless as he looked at the little baby girl.

“Hello, Connor,” Alice whispered, kissing her daughters head. She didn’t even know when Lydia and Tia Dalma had left the cabin. The only thing that occupied Alice’s mind was her little daughter. Her healthy, beautiful daughter that now sat in her arms rather than waiting inside her stomach. It was as if her entire world had stopped and this little baby was the only thing inside it.

There was no war, no Beckett, no Davy Jones, no Elizabeth or Will or her deceased father. There was only Connor Cordelia Sparrow.


	70. At World's End: Chapter 19

Jack couldn’t stop staring that the tiny infant in his arms. Alice was taking a much needed nap, curled up into a tight ball with the blankets covering her. Evidently, Connor must have been just as tired, for the moment he held the swaddled baby girl in his arms, she fell fast asleep. The little girl’s mouth was slightly open, her tiny pink tongue sticking out. It almost felt unreal; this was _his_ daughter he was holding. His and Alice’s. They had made this extremely tiny child that was now sleeping soundly in his arms. And it was even stranger to think that she was only a single day old. That was all the time she’d spent on this Earth thus far; a single day.

“Strange, innit?”

Jack looked up and turned around, seeing his longtime rival Barbossa standing in the doorway, his arms crossed as he looked down at the baby in Jack’s arm. “Never pictured you as the fatherly type,” Barbossa said as he stepped further into the room.

“Well I never pictured that some girl would actually fall for your mutinous, scraggy-bearded self yet here we are,” Jack replied, subconsciously holding Connor closer to him. Barbossa let out a scoff and rolled his eyes.

“How are they doing?” Barbossa asked. Jack looked over at Alice, who didn’t seem that she heard anything that was going on in the room right now. She must have been exhausted, not that Jack could blame her. All those hours of labor and a night with no sleep…

“Sleeping, obviously,” Jack said. “But they’re doing well. Alice is tough.”

“Aye,” Barbossa agreed. “I don’t doubt that she’ll be up on her feet by tonight, half-ready to shoot any idiot that crosses her path.” Jack let out a smirk at the idea. He had to admit that Barbossa was right on that account. Alice wasn’t one to take anything easy. It almost reminded him of three years ago; when she’d gotten washed across the deck of the _Interceptor_ by a wave in that storm and nearly cracked her skull open on a cannon. The next morning she went to the Isla de Muerta, despite him and many others telling her not to.

“That’s Alice,” Jack said. He looked down at Connor and felt so many thoughts rush through his head. What would she look like when she got older? Who would she take more after? Him or Alice? Would she want to be a pirate? Or would she end up wanting to be like those law-abiding ladies that Alice grew up around? No. He highly doubted that. No way would the combination of Jack and Alice want to be anything _but_ a pirate. Would she be hot-headed like her mother? Full of ingenuity like her father? She’d be completely insane either way; that was assured.  So many questions filled his mind about who Connor would be and what she would do and who she would love… There were so many things about his future and her future that he’d never even considered until this moment, when he was looking at his daughter’s sleeping face.

“We don’t agree on a lot of things, Jack,” Barbossa suddenly said. “But we both care about Alice. If they need anything, tell me.”

“I think I can take care of my girls myself,” Jack said. Barbossa scoffed and smirked.

“I don’t doubt that,” Barbossa said. He turned around and left the cabin, shutting the door behind him. Jack gently rocked Connor in his arms, smiling as she let out small, sleepy gurgles. Oh yes. He would do everything he could possibly do to make sure that his girls were well taken care of. Alice stirred in her sleep and turned to face Jack, her brown eyes slowly fluttering open.

“Was that just Barbossa?” Alice mumbled.

“Aye,” Jack said. Little Connor started to squirm around in her swaddle and let out small gurgles. “Like mother, like daughter, eh?” Alice let out faint chuckle and sat up stretching her arms out wide.

“It strange,” Alice said. “Not feeling her inside of me anymore. It’s just… it almost feels like a dream or like I got way too drunk.” Jack let out a laugh and shook his head. Only Alice would ever compare having a baby to having a hangover. Connor let out a whimper and then let out a wail. Alice let out a small chuckle and held out her arms, giving Jack an expectant look. “Give me our daughter, Sparrow.” Jack gently handed Connor over to her mother. Alice lowered the front of her dress and started to feed the newborn babe. It was strange to see her acting like a mother. He wouldn’t have pictured the two of them ever having a child. Then again, neither did Alice. Yet she seemed to go into the role almost naturally.

“Do you plan on attending the meeting?” Jack asked. Part of him wanted her there with Connor, so that he could show the pair of them off to the other Pirate Lords. Part of him wanted them to stay on the _Pearl,_ where they were far less likely to be shot if someone said something someone else didn’t agree with.

“Yes,” Alice said, her voice suddenly tense. “Both you and Barbossa need all the support you can muster. As a high ranking officer of _both_ of you, I intended to act according, not shirking any of my duties.”

“And Connor?” Jack asked. The little baby didn’t have a single care in the world, aside from the milk she was currently drinking from Alice’s breast. “What about her?”

“She’ll be safe,” Alice said. “I don’t expect anyone to start opening fire upon everyone else. The other Pirate Lords have shown that they’re willing to put aside their animosity for each other to discuss the threat Beckett poses on all of us. Connor can’t hurt those chances. In fact, maybe she’ll help them to see what exactly is at risk here. Our future… _her_ future.” Jack had to admit that Alice had a point. If everything was to go badly, he highly doubted that Beckett would allow any child of Jack Sparrow to live. Connor would die long before she ever got the chance to have adventures of her own on the seas.

There was no way in Hell would Jack ever let that happen.

“Alright,” Jack said, taking Alice’s hand in his own. “I’ve never been able to change your mind before. I doubt that’s going to start happening now. But if anything looks like it’s going wrong-”

“I’ll get her out, I promise,” Alice said, squeezing Jack’s hand. “With luck, she’ll sleep through the entire thing.” Jack let out a chuckle at the thought. Pirates were a noisy lot on a daily basis. Add in a meeting of the Brethren Court, and, well, it certainly wasn’t going to be any quieter than any other pirate gathering. If that child could sleep through that, then Jack was very sure that Connor would be able to sleep through anything they would ever possibly face on the seas. “I doubt it though,” Alice said. “I’ll more than likely have to take her out at least twice.”

“Aye,” Jack agreed. “Are you alright on your own? I should make sure Barbossa hasn’t commandeered my half of the ship.” Alice let out a snort and rolled her eyes.

“Aye, go on,” Alice said. “You have a ship to Captain.” Jack gave Alice’s hand one last quick squeeze before standing up, kissing the feeding Connor on the top of her head, and leaving the room.  When he looked out at his surroundings, he immediately saw that they were coming upon a very familiar island. This was it. They were finally here.

They were finally at Shipwreck Cove.

* * *

Lydia watched as the sunlight glittered on the clear blue waters. By mid-afternoon, they had finally reached Shipwreck Island. The sea looked stunningly beautiful this afternoon, more so than usual. Lydia almost wished that Alice was well enough to come out of the cabin and see it. Not once had Alice stepped out of the cabin or even gotten out of bed since yesterday. She, Jack, Barbossa, and Tia Dalma had all been in and out of the cabin periodically to check up on Alice and little Connor. No one was in there more than Jack, however. It made perfect sense, given that he was the father. If he wasn’t checking up on Alice and Connor repeatedly, Lydia would have had serious words with him by now. Hector, on the other hand, would have been far less inclined to use his words. It would have been an all out duel if Hector had his way.

“Keep a weather eye out!” Gibbs called out. “Not for naught it’s called Shipwreck Island, where lies Shipwreck Cove and the town of Shipwreck!”

“You heard him!” Pintel shouted. “Step lively!” The rest of the crew rushed off to their stations. Lydia turned around and watched as Jack shut the cabin door behind him and approach both her and Gibbs.

“For all that pirates are clever cobs, we are an unimaginative lot when it comes to naming things,” Jack said.

“I’ve noticed,” Lydia said.

“Aye,” Gibbs agreed. Jack paused and turned to the two of them, holding up both of his hands.

“I once sailed with a geezer lost both of his arms and part of his eye,” Jack said.

“What’d you call him?” Gibbs asked.

“Larry,” Jack said. Lydia furrowed her brow in confusion and went slightly slack-jawed.

“What did he do on the ship with no arms?” Lydia asked.

“Crow’s nest,” Jack said, as if it were obvious.

“How did he climb up there?” she asked. Jack opened his mouth to respond, but then immediately shut it when he didn’t have any sort of reasonable explanation.

“Never asked,” Jack finally said, before turning tail and observing what was happening on deck. Lydia merely shrugged and turned around. On the other end of the ship, Hector was standing with his arms crossed, more than likely in deep, deep thought. Lydia began to make her way towards him, intending on asking him what she could possibly do right now to help them avoid wrecking the _Pearl_. Once she reached him, however, he was already locked in conversation with Tia Dalma.

“I do not renege on a bargain once struck,” he said. “But we agreed on ends only. The means are mine to decide.” His blue eyes darted to the side as Lydia approached. Bargain? What bargain was he speaking of? What hadn’t he told her yet?

“Caution, Barbossa,” Tia Dalma said, grabbing his wrist. “Do not forget it was by my power you returned from the dead. Or what it means if you fail me.” She tightened her grip and Hector’s hand began to corrode, turning into the hand of a dead man long decayed. Lydia felt her breath catch in her throat as she looked upon that hand; that gruesome reminder that there was no way Hector should be standing there alive now. Tia Dalma looked over towards Lydia and added, “Not even favor for my daughter will save you from my wrath.” She let go of his wrist and stormed away. Hector grabbed her by the arm and practically dragged her back towards him. Lydia almost instinctively reached for the sword at her waist.

 _How DARE he treat her like that!?_ Thetis roared in her head. Of course… that instinctive loyalty Lydia had always felt towards Calypso must have been coming into play, which wasn’t going to be the best for Hector at the moment, regardless of how much she loved him.

“Don’t forget why you had to bring me back,” Hector growled. “Why I could not leave Jack to his well-deserved fate.” He glanced over warily at Lydia, as if he were afraid to go on. That’s when it hit Lydia. He knew Tia Dalma and Calypso were one and the same. He had to.

“I know, Barbossa,” Lydia said. Yet her voice wasn’t her own. It was definitely Thetis. “I know she’s Calypso. Did you honestly think I wouldn’t recognize my own mother?” Barbossa’s eyes narrowed at Lydia, as if he already suspected that it wasn’t truly her speaking right now.

“It took nine Pirate Lords to bind you, Calypso,” Hector said. “And it’ll take no less than nine to set you free.” That was his plan? That was the deal he made with her? To finally set her free from her human form? He turned to the side and called out, “Masters Pintel and Ragetti.” The two pirates immediately scurried over to Hector’s side. “Take this fishwife to the brig.” Tia Dalma glared at Hector as Pintel and Ragetti each took one of her arms. Lydia tensed her jaw, holding back the fury that both her and Thetis were feeling at the manhandling of their goddess.

“Right this way, Mrs. Fish,” Pintel said. Tia Dalma yanked her arms out of their grasp, turned to Lydia, and then turned around towards the deck, making it clear that she was going to the brig of her own volition. Hector looked down at his now fully-human hand and flexed it once. He let out a breath and then turned to Lydia.

“How long have you known that she was Calypso?” he asked her.

“Since the Locker,” Lydia said. “Thetis recognized her on sight.” Lydia glared sharply at Hector and then asked, “When were you planning on telling me about this? How your resurrection came with terms and conditions? How it’s not completely assured that you’ll even stay alive?” Hector looked down, his jaw tensed and his mind obvious in deep, deep thought.

“No one, save for me and Calypso, is aware of our bargain,” Hector said. “I didn’t feel there was a point in telling ye because I fully intend on upholding my end. I enjoy being alive and I’d prefer to stay that way, regardless of the means. I thought you’d approve of the arrangement, given your connection to Calypso and the desire you must possess for her to be free of her human form.” Lydia had to admit that he had a point on that end. Calypso being free would be beneficial to all the Nereids. Thetis obviously approved of the idea of Calypso’s freedom, based on the latent feelings that Lydia was picking up on. “While we’re on the subject of intentionally omitted information, when, exactly, were you planning on telling me that Thetis was still very much present?” Now that wasn’t fair; that wasn’t fair at all. It wasn’t as if Lydia didn’t plan on not telling him about Thetis’s lingering presence.

“I can’t see her,” Lydia snapped. “I never lied about that once we left the Locker. But I never once implied that she still wasn’t lingering. Her soul is still very much present, it goes without saying that her influence would still be around.” Hector tensed his jaw and took a slow, deep breath. “It’s not just her that’s furious right now, Hector. Manhandling Calypso like that…” Lydia let out a huff and shook her head. “I’m duty bound to protect my mother figure. I can’t help it. Yes, I’d like to see her freed. But right now I can’t approve of your treatment of her nor can I approve your current means.”

“Is that your opinion right now or hers?” Hector asked, his voice in a low tone that she hadn’t heard him use with her in over three years.

“Both,” Lydia said. “I love you, I trust you, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to approve of all of your methodology; _especially_ when your interests currently conflict with Calypso’s. I’m bound to her just as I’m bound to Thetis. I can’t change that, and neither can you.” Lydia took a slow breath, trying to center her own anger and keep it inside of her. The last thing she wanted right now was for her fury to externalize into something that could potentially crash the _Pearl_ into Shipwreck Island. “I can’t deal with your backwards logic right now.” She plopped down on top of a crate and immediately felt Thetis reach out to whatever sea life was readily available. What she evidently chose was one of the many barnacles that resided on the underside of the _Pearl._

 _Really, Lydia?_ Hector’s voice asked. He sounded like a slightly muffled, distant echo. _I thought we were past you sulking in whatever fish’s brain you’re currently in. I’ll abide by your wishes and leave ye be, but realize that yes, I’m fault for not telling ye, but you’re equally at fault for not telling me that you’re still very much in touch with Thetis._  She heard the sound of muffled footsteps and knew that he had stormed off, leaving her to her own devices. Perhaps she’d find herself calmer by the time the meeting of the Brethren Court began.


	71. At World's End: Chapter 20

It was nearly nightfall and Lydia was still sulking inside of whatever creature she currently inhabited. Barbossa gripped the rail tighter and took a deep breath. He hated seeing her angry. He hated that it more than likely wasn’t even Lydia who was this furious at him. No, it was definitely that entity known as Thetis who was driving Lydia’s anger. Who knew what poisonous words that other soul was telling his beloved right now? He almost didn’t want to imagine them.

Barbossa let out a sigh and finally forced himself to walk towards her. He sat down on the floor of the deck next to her. Her eyes were still open, yet her irises and pupils were gone. It was strange to see her face looking so vacant, so like she wasn’t even there. It was eerie to watch. “If ye don’t already know, it’s sunset,” he said. “Thought ye might want to watch. I know ye enjoy that.” Nothing. No response at all. No indication that she was going to return to her own body. Barbossa let out a huff and swore under his breath. “Lydia, can we at least talk? I don’t want us going to the meeting of the Brethren Court with us on bad terms.” He saw Lydia’s eye clench shut and then open again, her eyes back to normal. He always did admire those beautiful cloudy gray eyes, even back before the idea of falling in love with her could even be conceived of. Lydia tensed her jaw and immediately looked away from Barbossa, wrapping her arms around herself.

“It is beautiful, isn’t it?” Lydia said softly.

“Still mad at me?” Barbossa asked.

“Mad? No,” Lydia said. “Annoyed? Most definitely. But then again you’re probably feeling the same way about me right now.”

“Aye, a smidge,” Barbossa admitted. He looked out at the slowly descending sun. The horizon had a reddish-gold hue, with tinges of violet and pink among the clouds that hung high in the darkening sky. It truly was a beautiful sight to behold. It was part of why he’d always loved the sea.

“I’m sorry I didn’t confide in you sooner,” Lydia finally said. “I’m still getting used to the idea of actually being able to talk about my problems with someone else.”

“Tis not an easy thing to adjust to,” Barbossa said. “Not being alone, that is. I’m just as much at fault with that as you.” Barbossa swallowed his pride and took a slowly deep breath. “I should have told ye about my deal with Calypso. You’re a Nereid. It concerns ye as much as it concerns me and her.” Lydia turned to him with a deep frown.

“It concerns me because I care about you,” Lydia said. “Being a Nereid has almost nothing to do with it.” Barbossa let out a small smile.

“Aye, that’s a valid point as well,” he said. “Not telling ye was more selfishness on my own end. After all, what man wants to face the possibility of his own demise?”

“I can understand that,” Lydia said. She turned to face him and said, “You worry enough about me for both of us. I didn’t want you to worry more; especially with the weight of the Brethren Court on your shoulders. Thetis is my burden to bear and she always will be. There really isn’t anything you can do about the other soul cohabitating my body. It’s just… how it is, I suppose.”

“So you still hear her?” Barbossa asked. Lydia nodded and let out a ghost of a laugh.

“Oh yes,” Lydia said. “But I can’t see her anymore and her presence isn’t constant. It’s just that our souls will… I’m not entirely sure how to phrase it.” She took a deep breath, as if she were trying to center her own thoughts. “Our souls blend, from time to time. At least that’s how she explained it to me. Part of her is me, part of me is her. There really isn’t one without the other. I don’t think there ever _has_ been one without the other.” Barbossa took Lydia’s hand in his own and squeezed it tightly. Her explanation made perfect sense to him. Did he like that another being could potentially take over at times? No. Not in the slightest. But if Lydia had made peace with her state, then Barbossa was going to have to. He’d never considered the idea of both Lydia and Thetis blending. In his mind, he very much saw the two as separate beings. It seemed that the line between Lydia and Thetis was far more blurred than he would have ever anticipated.

“We both have our burdens, Lyddie,” he said. “And we both need to learn that our burdens aren’t ours alone anymore. They don’t have to be.”

“It’ll be hard to adjust to that,” Lydia said with a faint smile. “For both of us. Solitude has been our way of life for far too long.”

“Aye,” Barbossa agreed. “That just means we need to keep each other in check, then.” He brought her hand up to his lips and pressed a kiss against the soft, pale skin. He doubted he would ever tire of kissing any part of her. The sun finally set, covering Shipwreck in dim shadow. “It be time, lass.”

“It appears so,” Lydia said. She let go of his hand and rose to her feet. Barbossa turned his head towards Cotton and motioned for him to sail them into Shipwreck Cove. Some of the crew were already lighting the torches, providing some light on the _Black Pearl._ As they started to move through the small cave-like passage, he heard the crew suddenly cheering. Barbossa rose to his feet, his brow furrowed in confusion. Everything was suddenly made clearer, though, when he saw that Alice had finally appeared on deck for the first time in two days. It didn’t surprise him that the crew would make a gigantic deal over seeing Alice and her newborn daughter.

Alice laughed and held the sleeping Connor closer to her chest. Lydia smiled down at the scene, immediately rushing down the steps to see her sister. Barbossa smirked at his lover’s motherly antics. He highly doubted that she ever stop mothering anyone whom she cared for. It was one of the many things he admired about her; her unending empathy. Even as cold as he had seen her become, she had never once lost her compassion for those that she was close to. It would have been so easy for her to stop loving him after everything she’d endured with Beckett, yet she remained by his side.

They finally sailed through the passage and Shipwreck Cove was revealed. Immediately, the crew silenced, ceasing to crowd around Alice and her newborn, and stared at the sight before them. Barbossa had been here once before, after Captain Borya Palachnik had sunk his first ship, the _Cobra_. It was here that he first received his Piece of Eight. Of course, being the idiot young man he was back then, he had no idea what it was and why it was so significant. There had never been this number of pirates in Shipwreck Cove for many years, not since the last meeting of the Brethren Court.

“My God,” he heard Lydia breathe out.

“I’ve never been here, but I’ve heard so many stories,” Alice said. “But to see it... to see Shipwreck City at last.”

“Look at ‘em all,” Pintel said.

“There’s not been a gathering like this in our lifetime,” Barbossa said, staring ahead.

“And I owe them all money,” Jack said, walking up next to Barbossa.

“I’ve probably slept with most of them too,” Alice commented almost offhandedly. Barbossa slowly looked between the two of them and rolled his eyes. Lydia stepped up next to Barbossa’s side, her eyes still widened in awe and her jaw slightly agape.

“I’ve never seen anything like this in my entire life,” Lydia murmured.

“Aye,” Barbossa said. “If me knowledge serves me right, you’d be the first Nereid to set foot in Shipwreck.”

“I wonder why,” Lydia replied with soft smirk. “Based on what I’ve heard from Thetis, most of us prefer to stay as far away from pirates as possible.”  The _Black Pearl_ finally reached the docks. The crew prepared tie up the _Pearl_ at the pier. Pintel and Ragetti lowered the gangplank onto the half-rotted wooden pier. “A lot is at stake tonight. The fate of pirates, Calypso’s freedom, your own survival…”

“All will go as I want it,” Barbossa said. “One way or another, I’m freeing Calypso. I’ll not let myself die a second time. Least not yet.” Lydia nodded slowly and took a deep breath. Both of them turned around and walked towards the gangplank, ready for this meeting to both begin and end.

* * *

Lydia was amazed by the sights as she saw as the crew of the _Black Pearl_ strode through the streets of Shipwreck. There were so many pirates and so many families of pirates. On every wooden street, she saw young children playing with each other, hardly caring or aware of the looming danger over them. Women swept their own doorsteps, smiling at the pirates as they passed. It truly was a safe haven for anyone associated with piracy.

Near the top of the city of was the Pirate Hall. This is where the meeting of the Brethren Court would be taking place. She could practically feel her heartbeat race in anticipation. She had no idea how this would go for either Jack or Hector. The only thing that was keeping her calm right now was Hector’s hand in hers. They finally reached the large, wooden double doors that led to the Pirate Hall. The two men guarding the doors opened them for their party. Within seconds, Lydia found herself in awe at the sight of the chamber.

The chamber was formed from the joining of two hulls. In the center of the already crowed chamber was a large wooden table with a chair for each of the nine Pirate Lords. Over the table was a large iron chandelier coated in the dried drippings of melted wax. By the entrance to the chamber was a large globe with six swords already buried within. Hector and Jack both took out their own swords and shoved them into the globe.

Lydia looked around the chamber, trying to commit the faces of the other six present Pirate Lords. Both Alice and Hector had briefly described them to her while Alice was in labor. It was Alice’s idea to do so as a way to keep her mind off of the labor pains. It wasn’t difficult for Lydia to identify Mistress Ching, the Lord of the Pacific Ocean, as she was the only female Pirate Lord out of all of them. Her clouded eyes gave away her lack of sight, yet she still seemed acutely aware of everything around her. Sumbhajee Angria, Lord of the Indian Ocean was also fairly easy to find, given his turban and Indian robes. Ammand the Corsair, Lord of the Black Sea, also wore a turban, but Lydia was able to tell his Ottoman vestments from than of the Indian Sumbhajee. The African Gentleman Jocard, Lord of the Atlantic Ocean, was the next one Lydia was able to find. Hector had described the painted on mustache and goatee, as well as the flamboyant wig and hat of Capitaine Chevalle, Lord of the Mediterranean Sea. Lastly there was the Lord of the Adriatic Sea, Eduardo Villanueva. He was the most nondescript out of all the present Pirate Lords. The only Lord that had yet to arrive was Sao Feng, whom Lydia had only seen one time as she was being “escorted” to Cutler Beckett.

Hector gave Lydia’s hand one last squeeze and then slipped a waterskin into the palm of her hand. “Just because I’m unarmed don’t you have to be,” he whispered so quietly that she had to strain to hear his words. Lydia was confused as to what he meant until she felt the power thrumming from the waterskin. There was seawater in there. He was giving her something to use, should anything go wrong. She nodded once and then let go of his hand, tying the waterskin to her belt. She highly doubted she would actually need to use it, but just the thought of having some small means of defense was a great comfort to her.

Hector took a chain shot from his belt by one of the iron balls and then banged it against the table like a gavel in a courtroom. The hum of conversation died away and all heads turned to face Hector. “As he who issued summons, I convene this, the Fourth Brethren Court,” Hector said. The six other Pirate Lords took their seats while their parties chattered amongst themselves. Hector remained standing and Jack was hovering by the globe of swords, flicking one of them. Hector glanced over at Ragetti and nodded once. Ragetti “To confirm your lordship and right to be heard, present now your pieces of eight, my fellow cap’ns.” The Lords all reached inside their various pockets and began to pull out what appeared to be random pieces of worthless objects. Ragetti approached each of the Pirate Lords with a bowl for them to present their piece of eight. Sumbhajee tossed what appeared to be a calf-horn snuff box into the bowl. Chevalle pulled a playing card out of his sleeve and placed it in.

“Those aren’t pieces of eight, they’re just pieces of junk,” Pintel commented. Villanueva dropped a broken bottle neck on a string into the bowl. So far Lydia was more curious about the stories behind why these pieces of eight were chosen.

“Aye, the original plan was to use nine pieces of eight to bind Calypso, but when the first court met, the Brethren were to a one, skint broke,” Gibbs explained. Jocard placed a pair of tobacco cutters into Ragetti’s bowl, and the one eyed pirate scurried around the table.

“Hence why the pieces of eight are all just pieces of shit,” Alice said with a snicker. Lydia looked down at the still sleeping Connor, wondering how on earth the newborn hadn’t yet woken up. She must have been quite the heavy sleeper, just like Alice.

“So change the name,” Pintel said. Ching dropped a pair of spectacles into the bowl, still staring straight ahead unblinkingly.

“To what? ‘Nine Pieces of Whatever We Happened to Have in Our Pockets at the Time’? Oh yes, that sounds very pirate,” Gibbs said with a snort.

“Well it would certainly fall in line with your creativity in regards to naming things,” Lydia said. . Ammand tossed a small pewter brandy goblet into the bowl and then Ragetti scurried back to Barbossa.

“Master Ragetti, if you will,” Hector said, holding out his hand. Ragetti stared down at Hector’s hand and then up at his face.

“I kept it safe for you, just like you said when you gave it to me,” he stammered out.

“Aye, ye have, but now I need it back,” Hector said. He whacked Ragetti on the back of the head, popping his wooden out of his skull and into Hector’s hand. He dropped it into the bowl and then turned to Jack expectantly.

“Sparrow!” Villanueva grumbled. Lydia looked over at Jack, who was fingering the coin hanging from his bandana.

“Might I point out that we are still short one Pirate Lord?” Jack said. “And I’m content as a cucumber to wait until Sao Feng joins us.”

“Sao Feng is dead.”

Lydia froze and turned around at the sound of that voice. There at the entrance was none other than her sister Elizabeth, adorned in Chinese garb with Sao Feng’s crew. Next to her stood James Norrington, still wearing parts of his East India Trading Company uniform and Kitty, dressed in a tunic and skirt. Yet there was a vacantness to Kitty and James’ faces that could have only been caused by Beckett. Lydia knew the expression well; she’d worn it many times before. Yet it was such a relief to see that both of them were still alive. She almost entirely sure that Beckett would have killed both of them eventually, or perhaps worse in Kitty’s circumstances.

“He fell to the _Flying Dutchman_ ,” Elizabeth continued. The pirates immediately ascended into an uproar. Elizabeth took her sword and plunged it into the giant globe.

“He made you captain?” Jack asked. “They’re just giving the bloody title away now.” Elizabeth made her away up to Lydia’s side and leaned towards the other pirates.

“Listen to me,” she demanded. “Listen to me! Our location has been betrayed. Jones is under the command of Lord Beckett, they’re on their way here.” Lydia felt her stomach drop and bile rise in her throat. It wouldn’t be good for any of them if Beckett managed to break his way into this fortress. They would all be dead or worse. The stakes for everything just grew higher. He would be at Shipwreck Island by the morrow.

“Who is this betrayer?” Jocard asked.

“Not likely anyone among us,” Hector said.

“Where’s Will?” Elizabeth asked, looking around the chamber.

“Not among us,” Jack replied.

“And it matters not how they found us. The question is what will we do now that they have?” Hector asked.

“We fight!” Elizabeth insisted. Immediately, every pirate in the room laughed or scoffed at Elizabeth and her idea of fighting. The last thing Lydia wanted was a fight, but she knew that it would be unavoidable given Beckett’s predisposition to do whatever it took to get what he wanted. She knew that all to clearly.

“Shipwreck Cove is a fortress, a well supplied fortress. There is no need to fight if they cannot get to us,” Ching said. There were murmurs of approval around the room. It did sound appear to just hide here and wait out the storm. Yet this storm was one that wouldn’t dissipate anytime soon. It wouldn’t go away until they were all dead in the water or hung by the noose.

“There is a third course,” Hector said. He paced around the table as he spoke. “In another age, at this very spot, the First Court captured the sea goddess, and bound her in her bones. That was a mistake.” The Pirate Lords all immediately silenced and narrowed their eyes at him.  “Oh, we tamed the seas for ourselves, aye, but opened the door to Beckett and his ilk. Better were the days when mastery of seas came not from bargains struck with eldritch creatures, but from the sweat of a man’s brow and the strength of his back alone. Y’all know this to be true.” There was murmur of approval amongst the gathered pirates. So far everything was going well for Hector. “Gentlemen, ladies,” he said as he moved back to his place at the head of the table. “We must free Calypso.” For a few moments there was complete, dead silence. It seemed like maybe the Pirate Lords would come around.

Then there was the sudden chaotic, angry yelling.

“Shoot him!” Villaneuva shouted.

“Cut out his tongue!” Jocard yelled.

“Shoot him and cut out his tongue, then shoot his tongue,” Jack suggested “And trim that scraggly beard.” Lydia almost instinctively uncorked the waterskin, ready to defend Hector if needed. His hand suddenly grasped her wrist, though and she looked up. He shook his head once and that was all it took for Lydia to understand his meaning. He didn’t want them to know what she was; not yet anyway. More than likely he’d already plotted some grand dramatic reveal. Lydia looked over at Alice, who was rolling her eyes at Jack’s antics while gently bouncing Connor in her arms. How that child hadn’t woken up yet was a mystery that would never be solved.

“Sao Feng would’ve agreed with Barbossa,” Tai Huang said.

“Aye!” Hector shouted.

“Calypso was our enemy then, she will be our enemy now,” Jocard pointed out.

“And it’s not likely her mood’s improved,” Chevalle said.

“I would still agree with Sao Feng, we release Calypso!” Villanueva stated firmly as he took out his pistol and slammed it on the table. Lydia stiffened. Things were definitely about to get chaotic.

“You threaten me?” Chevalle inquired as he stepped closer to Villanueva.

“I silence you!” Villanueva shouted back. Then all hell broke loose.  Chevalle punched Villanueva in the face, who then fired off his gun as he fell backwards. It was turning into an all-out brawl in the Hall. Swords were clashing, bottles were being broken over heads, people were being thrown around… it was complete madness. Yet it was also what Lydia was completely expecting to happen at least once during this meeting.

“This is madness,” Elizabeth said.

“This is politics,” Jack added.

“This a typical gathering of pirates,” Alice said, still rocking Connor. Even now, that child still managed to sleep through all of this. If Connor slept this heavily already, Jack and Alice would have fairly easy nights, save for when she needed to feed.

“Meanwhile our enemies are bearing down upon us,” Elizabeth said.

“If they not be here already,” Hector agreed.

“So what do we do now?” Lydia asked.

“We get their attention back,” Hector said. He smirked at Lydia and nodded towards the waterskin he’d given her. “I think now is a good time for them to learn who exactly you are, Lyddie.”

“Always one with a flair for the dramatic,” Lydia muttered to herself as she pulled the water out of the waterskin. There wasn’t a lot of it, but she knew how exactly to make it count. As she sent the stream of water flying around the table, hitting as many faces as she possibly could, Hector stepped up onto the table itself and fired his pistol into the air. Lydia brought the water back to her, letting the small stream swirl around her wrist in case she needed it a second time. All faces turned to the two of them and none of them looked very happy with Lydia.

“You brought one of Calypso’s sea bitches?” Ammand shouted, pointing at Lydia. Lydia resisted the urge to gulp and tried to hide the fear that she knew was present in her eyes. This was certainly not going to do much to help Hector. Perhaps he thought it would, but at the moment her presence was hurting his chances of freeing Calypso and keeping his life.


	72. At World's End: Chapter 21

Was Alice glad for the silence that now hung over the Brethren Court? Of course, she was. She briefly looked down at Connor, who was somehow still fast asleep. She was one heavy sleeper. But then again, given all that she probably had to sleep through while Alice was pregnant with her… it wasn’t as surprising as it should be. What Alice _didn’t_ like right now, however, was the way every pirate there that wasn’t part of the crew of the _Black Pearl_ was currently glaring at Lydia with murderous intent. “You brought one of Calypso’s sea bitches?” Ammand shouted, pointing at Lydia.

“We prefer the term Nereid, thank you very much,” Lydia coolly replied. Alice knew her sister well. She knew that Lydia was terrified right now; though she was never going to show it, at least not now. There was a time when Lydia wouldn’t have been able to hide her fear at all. Perhaps Thetis was doing her a lot more good than Barbossa wanted to give her credit for. Barbossa narrowed his eyes and snaked an arm around Lydia’s waist and pulled her closer to him, making his relationship with her very, very clear to the other pirate lords. Immediately the opposing lords silenced and sat down slowly. Though it was not an official part of the Code, there was an unspoken rule that the lovers and children of the Lords were protected by the Court. “I think you’ll all find it’s in your benefit to not cross the one who is currently the more favored child of Calypso.”

“Aye,” Barbossa replied. “It was the first court what imprisoned Calypso, and we will be the ones to set her free, and in her gratitude, she will see fit to grant us boons.”

“Who’s boons?” Jack suddenly asked. “Your boons? Utterly deceptive twaddle speak, says I.” Alice narrowed her eyes at her lover. What was he about to suggest?

“If you have a better alternative, please share,” Barbossa said, motioning to the rest of the court.

“Cuttlefish,” Jack said. Everyone in that room all shot Jack confused glances almost simultaneously. Jack paid no mind to this as he started slowly walking around the table. “Let us not, dear friends, forget our dear friends the cuttlefish. Slippaconorious little sausages. Pen ‘em up together, and they’ll devour each other without a second thought. Human nature, isn’t it? Or fish nature.” Jack bent down to Mistress Ching and placed his hands on her shoulder. “So yes, we could hole up here well provisioned and well armed, and half of us would be dead within the month, which seems grim to me any way you slice it.” He had a valid point on that option, but Alice already knew that he didn’t want to hide out in Shipwreck Cove. He wanted to get to the heart. They’d have to meet Jones in battle for that to happen. He stood up and paced around the table once more.

“Or, as my learned colleague so naively suggests,” Jack continued, “we could release Calypso, and we can pray that she will be merciful. I rather doubt it. Can we, in fact, pretend that she is anything other than a woman scorned, like which fury hell hath no? We cannot. Even if we have one of her daughters on our side, Calypso’s mercy is only guaranteed for about… I’d say four people maximum.” He stood up at the other side of the table and met the eyes of all the lords. “Res ipso loquitur tabula in naufragio, we are left with but one option. I agree with, and I cannot believe the words are coming out of me mouth, Captain Swann. We must fight.”

“You’ve always run away from a fight!” Barbossa shouted.

“I have not!” Jack argued.

“Ye have so!”

“Have not!”

“Ye have so!”

“Have not!” In that exact moment, Connor chose then to spontaneously awaken and start crying. Alice rolled her eyes at her daughter’s poor choice in timing and rocked her gently in her arms. It looks like that was something else she inherited from her father. One man with terrible timing and plans that never worked was enough; now she was adding an infant with the same habit into her life. Of course, given the way the other members of the Court were looking at her, they didn’t notice that Alice was holding an infant until now.

“You have so, and you know it!” Barbossa shouted with finality as if he had just won their childish argument.

“Have not, slander and calumny!” Jack said. “I have only ever embraced that oldest and noblest of pirate traditions. I submit here, and now, that is what we all must do, we must fight... to run away.” Alice dropped her jaw for a moment, but then closed it and shrugged. That wasn’t all that bad of an idea. They couldn’t exactly decimate all of Beckett’s forces right now, but they could at least weaken them enough to buy the pirates more time to better plan out this war. Plus, if Beckett did what Alice thought he might do and send out the _Dutchman_ first, then Jack could get to the heart. Not that Alice particularly liked the idea of Jack taking up a mantle that he definitely wouldn’t uphold, but that was a lesson Jack would need to learn from himself. Alice knew by now that she wouldn’t be able to talk him out of that plan. She doubted even the day-old Connor could convince him.

“Aye!” Gibbs shouted. The rest of the pirates heartily voiced their agreement with a chorus of ‘ayes.’ Barbossa, on the other hand, had crossed his arms and pursed his lips as he tried to think of a counter to Jack’s very popular suggestion of fighting to flee. Barbossa rolled his eyes dramatically, as he usually did, and shot a glare at Jack.

“As per the Code, an act of war, and this be exactly that, can only be declared by the Pirate King,” Barbossa stated. Alice narrowed her eyes. Was this true? Or was Barbossa just trying to get his way?

“You made that up!” Jack immediately accused.

“Did I now?” Barbossa challenged. He smirked and said, “I call on Cap’n Teague, keeper of the code.” Alice widened her eyes and gulped. Jack visibly blanched as well as he looked over to Alice with wide, frightened eyes. In the three years Alice had been with Jack, she’d never once met his father, the infamous Captain Teague. Now here she was, standing there with his granddaughter.

“Sri Sumbhajee proclaims this all to be folly,” one of Sumbhajee’s attendants said. “Hang the code. Who cares if-” A loud gunshot rang through the hall. Alice heard both Lydia and Kitty gasp at the sudden shot. The attendant froze and fell over backward, immediately dead. Surprisingly, Connor didn’t seem all that upset at witnessing her first death. Alice looked up with the rest of the pirates to the source of the gunshot. There a short distance away was none other than Captain Teague.

Teague’s resemblance to Jack was uncanny, though not unexpected given that they were father and son. They had the same dreadlocks, the same eyes, and the same beard even… Their relationship was very much evident in the way the two men looked. Yet there was a certain elegance to Captain Teague that Jack didn’t inherit at all.

“The Code is the law,” Teague said as he blew the smoke off his gun. All of the Pirate Lords, save for Jack and Barbossa, slowly sat back down. None of them wanted to risk the same fate as Sri Sumbhajee’s guard. Teague sauntered towards the table slowly. Jack didn’t dare to turn around as his father approached. “You’re in my way, boy,” he said. Jack shuffled almost awkwardly to the side as Teague motioned for two older pirates to bring forth the Code. Alice couldn’t lie; she was excited to see the Code for the first time.  The actual words written down by the first Court.

“The Code,” Pintel whispered as the pirates laid the large book on the council table.

“As set forth by Morgan and Bartholomew,” Ragetti added.

“That’s really it?” Lydia asked Barbossa. He nodded slowly and watched as Teague let out a whistle. Alice dropped her jaw and nearly dropped her child when she saw what came. It was that dog. It was that damn Fort Charles prison dog that never let go of the keys.

“How did-” Alice sputtered.

“Sea turtles, lass,” Teague said as he took the keys from the dog’s mouth. Were those keys never for the cells? Was it for the goddamn Pirate Code? How did that make any logical sense? The dog barked twice and then ran off into who-knows-where. Teague slid the key into the Code’s lock and then opened the large, yellowed book. Teague muttered to himself as he scanned through the Code, search for evidence of Barbossa’s claims. Finally, he tapped his finger on one particular section and looked up. “Barbossa is right,” he said. Barbossa smirked and then did an almost snarky bow.

“Hang on a minute,” Jack said as he leaned over the Code. “It shall be the duty of the king to declare war, parlay with said adversaries... fancy that.”

“There’s not been a King since the first Court,” Chevalle pointed out.” And it’s not likely to change.”

“Why not?” Elizabeth asked.

“See, the Pirate King is elected by popular vote,” Gibbs said.

“And each Lord only ever votes for himself,” Alice said. “Because let’s face it; Pirates, in general, are idiots.”

“I call for a vote!” Jack said. All the pirates collectively groaned and began arguing amongst themselves. Teague, on the other hand, had taken a place in the corner of the room and began strumming a guitar.

“I rest my case,” Alice said.

“Don’t you get a vote?” Elizabeth asked. “You’re the mother of Jack’s child. That should mean something.”

“No,” Alice said. She had a bite to her words. Even now, she still hadn’t let go of the fact that it was Elizabeth who’d killed Jack those many months ago. Pirates were notorious for holding grudges, and Alice was nowhere near the exception to that. “Even if I were married to Jack, I still wouldn’t have a voice in the Court. There are no Pirate Ladies; just wives of Pirate Lords who hold no power in the Brethren Court.” Elizabeth frowned and nodded.

“I vote for Ammand, the Corsair,” Ammand said.

“Capitaine Chevalle,” Chevalle said. “The Penniless Frenchman.”

“Sri Sumbhajee votes for Sri Sumbhajee,” one of Sumbhajee’s guards said. The votes went on as completely expected.

“Mistress Ching!”

“Gentleman Jocard!”

“Elizabeth Swann,” Elizabeth said with a dismissive shrug.

“Barbossa,” Barbossa said in an almost annoyed manner. Not that Alice blamed him; she knew this vote was going to go nowhere since Jack would inevitably vote for himself. She couldn’t see him _not_ wanting the title of Pirate King as well.

“Villanueva!”

However, Jack didn’t do what Alice expected at all. He didn’t do what anyone expected.

“Elizabeth Swann,” he said. All eyes widened, and they stared at Jack in shock. No one was more shocked than Elizabeth, however.

“What?” she gasped.

“I know,” Jack said nonchalantly. “Curious, isn’t it?” The Court was in an uproar. None of the Lords were happy with Jack’s decision; some were demanding that Jack vote for them instead. Alice subconsciously moved Connor, who was now fast asleep again, closer to her chest. The only ones who weren’t in dissent were Jack, Barbossa, and Elizabeth.

“Am I do understand that you lot will not be keeping to the Code, then?” Jack finally asked. There was silence among the Lords the moment they heard a guitar string break. One glare from Teague made every one of the other Lords sit back down in their seats slowly.

“Very well,” Mistress Ching said, turning her sightless gaze to Elizabeth. “What say you, Captain Swann, King of the Brethren Court?” Elizabeth took a deep breath and then looked Mistress Ching right in the eyes.

“Prepare every vessel that floats,” Elizabeth said. “At dawn, we’re at war.” Sri Sumbhajee rose to his feet and looked around the room. The voice Alice expected to come out of him was low and demanding. The voice that _did_ come out of him was a completely different story.

“And so we shall go to war,” he said in an almost comically high-pitched and squeaky voice. The pirates all stood up and started letting out their war cries.  Jack motioned for Alice to come up to him. She almost froze right on the spot. Oh, God. She was actually going to meet Jack’s father for the first time. She could imagine the words she’d say right before he shot her. _Hi, I’m your son’s lover that’s almost half his age. And this is our one-day old lovechild that I didn’t know I was carrying until after he died. But don’t worry, we went down to the Locker and saved him. It turns out it was your new Pirate King that murdered him. Also, my sister is one of the most notorious enemies of pirate kind. Don’t shoot me, please._

“…trick, innit? To survive?” she heard Jack ask.

“It’s not just about living forever, Jackie,” Teague said. “The trick is living with yourself forever.” Alice knew that Teague was fairly aware of what Jack desired; immortality and freedom.

“How’s mum?” Jack asked. Teague’s expression didn’t change as he brought up a shrunken head. Alice’s eyes widened as she looked from Teague to Jack to the head. “She looks great.” Jack looked over at Alice and slid an arm around her waist. “You haven’t Alice yet.”

“Hello,” Alice squeaked out.

“So this is the lover I’ve heard about,” Teague said. Alice could practically feel the judgment radiating off of this man. “Rumors travel fast to Shipwreck.” Teague looked down at little Connor and let out a small smile. “And who’s this?”

“Um… well… this is Connor,” Alice said. “She’s… uh… well… she’s your granddaughter.” Teague widened his eyes for a moment, seemingly taken off guard. Jack smiled somewhat awkwardly.

“Surprise,” was all he said to his father on the matter. Alice heard Connor let out a small, tiny whimper and nestle further into her swaddle. Teague, to Alice’s surprise, held out his arms.

“May I?” he asked Alice. She nodded and carefully placed Connor in her grandfather’s arms. The infant let out a moan at the shift of arms, as she always did when Alice and Jack switched who was holding the child. The sleeping child furrowed her brow as if she knew she was in unfamiliar arms. Yet she clearly felt safe enough to go right back to sleep again. Teague smiled at the small child, bouncing her in his arms like someone who’d held a babe before. “I’m surprised at you, Jack. Never thought you’d stay with a woman you knocked up.”

“Well it certainly helps that I already love her,” Jack said with an almost sly smile at Alice. Teague let out a light chuckle at that.

“That’s what I’ve heard,” Teague said. “I’ve heard a lot of things about the two of you. Not all good, but not all bad.” Alice gulped and suddenly found the ground far more interesting to look at than Captain Teague. Oh Lord, this man hated her. He had to hate her. “How old is she?”

“About a day and a half,” Jack said. Alice brought her eyes up for a moment and watched the scene before her. Teague looked up at the two of them and narrowed his eyes at Alice.

“Then you’re tougher than you look,” he said. “Not many women would be up walking around the day after they birthed their first child.”

“I can’t tell if that’s a compliment or not,” Alice admitted. “But with everything she’s gone through, she’ll be one tough pirate; that’s for certain.”

“Aye,” Teague replied. “Born at sea, no less. Like father, like daughter.” Alice widened her eyes and looked up at Jack.

“You never told me that,” Alice said.

“Aye, during a storm too,” Teague said with a smirk. “I’m wondering what all my boy told you about me. I’ve heard stories of how fiery of a lass you are, yet you won’t look me in the eye.” Teague handed Connor to Jack, who somewhat clumsily held his daughter. It was completely obvious that Jack wasn’t used to holding an infant yet. Perhaps he’d get more comfortable in time. Teague held out his hand to Alice. Alice almost hesitantly took it and the pair shook hands. “I know Jack’s not the marrying type. Neither are you, based on the rumors. But you’re the mother of my grandchild and the closest thing to a daughter-in-law that I’ll ever get. Welcome to the family, Alice.” He let go of her hand, smiled at little Connor one last time, and then disappeared back to where he came. Alice let out a breath she didn’t know that she’d been holding and looked at Jack.

“He always like this?” Alice asked.

“Why do you think I never visit?” Jack asked. “Come on, love. We’d best get back to the _Pearl._ ”

“Aye,” Alice said. She looked over at Connor and asked, “Would you rather I carry her?”

“No, no, I’ve got her,” Jack said. Alice let out a smile as she walked out of the Pirate Hall, with Jack and her newborn child at her side. Tomorrow would be hard and grim, but they would fight, and they would win. She had to, not just for her sake, but for her family’s as well.

* * *

 

Lydia felt uneasy with the glances of hate and mistrust from the other Pirate Lords as they left the chamber. They were all making it abundantly clear that her presence was tolerated; nothing more. Not that Lydia particularly cared for what these pirates thought of her. They got them to agree to go to war. The one glaring failure that made her uneasy was their failure to agree to release Calypso. What did this mean for Hector’s bargain with her? She suddenly felt a pair of arms wrap around her and she tensed up. Of course, she relaxed when she noticed that it was none other than James Norrington who was currently hugging her right now.

“It’s good to see you alive and well, Lydia,” he said. “After I’d learned you were in the Locker…”

“An experience I’d rather forget,” Lydia said. She let go of James and immediately brought Kitty into her arms. “I’m so glad you’re safe. When I found out Beckett had you on the _Dutchman_... I don’t know what on earth he was thinking!”

“He thought it gave him a tighter leash on the two of us,” Kitty said. Lydia noticed how sullen her face was, how worn she looked behind her bloodshot eyes. She hadn’t been resting well, if at all.

“How’s your baby?” Lydia asked. “The one time I saw Beckett he told me you were with child.” Kitty tensed her jaw and looked away from her. James very much had the same kind of reaction. Lydia dropped her jaw and placed a hand over her mouth when the realization dawned on her.

Kitty had lost her child.

“I’m so sorry,” Lydia said. “I had no idea.”

“We’re burying her at sea tonight,” James said slowly. Lydia took the hands of her brother-in-law and her sister and squeezed them tightly. “At the very least, we know Little James is still safe in Port Royal.” Lydia nodded and looked over at Alice who was standing with Jack and Captain Teague with her newborn daughter.

“Alice had her child?” Kitty asked. Lydia let out a soft smile and nodded.

“Yesterday morning,” Lydia said. “A girl. She named her Connor.” Kitty let out a smile at that, probably one of the only smiles she’d let out in the past few months. At that moment, Hector had finally come up to her and slid his arm around her waist.

“I’m assuming you’re Kitty?” he asked Kitty. Kitty nodded her head slowly and extended her hand.

“I’m assuming you’re Barbossa,” she said almost coolly. Hector took her hand and kissed the back of it, like the pseudo-gentleman he was. Kitty’s face remained steely. Lydia didn’t exactly blame her; Hector could be a hard man to trust to one who knew him only by his reputation. “I wish the circumstances of us finally meeting were better.”

“Aye,” Hector said. “The brink of war s’not an ideal situation.” Kitty shrugged and let go of his hand.

“Is it strange that I’m glad you kidnapped Elizabeth and Lydia all those years ago?” she asked.

“Nay,” Hector said. “I don’t think so. ‘Least not with the way things have turned out so far.” Kitty nodded and turned towards Elizabeth.

“We should head back to the _Empress_ ,” Kitty said. “To…” It was obvious that Kitty didn’t want to say the words aloud. Neither did James, based on the tenseness of his jaw. Lydia didn’t blame either of them. No parent wanted to bury their child, especially at sea. Especially when they knew their son would never be able to meet his younger sister. “You don’t have to come if you’d rather not. I-I would prefer your presence, though.”

“Kitty, I’ll always be there for you, no matter what,” Lydia said. Kitty squeezed her sister’s hand and let out a small, sad smile.

“And I you,” Kitty said. “Thank you.” Kitty let go of her sister’s hand and turned away, clinging to her husband’s arm as they walked out of the pirate hall. Lydia felt Hector’s arm wrap itself around her waist. A moment later Alice and Jack (who was holding the still sleeping Connor) walked past them, leaving the hall.

“Come on, love,” Hector said to her softly. “We have a long night ahead of us.”

“Aye,” Lydia replied. “I doubt rest will come to any of us.”

“Nay,” Hector replied. “The only sleeping tonight is Alice’s babe.” Lydia let out a small laugh. He had a point. It was rather lucky that Connor didn’t have to worry about murderous husbands, a war on piracy, and keeping her newly-revived lover and sisters alive. She just had to worry about when she would eat and sleep. “I’ll get us a room at the inn after your niece’s funeral. Figure you might want to try and get off the _Pearl_ for a time.” Lydia let out a soft smile and kissed Hector on the cheek.

“Thank you,” she said. “I’m sure Kitty’s invitation extends to you as well. She might not have said it, but I think she’d want you there too. For my sake, if nothing else.” Hector nodded and said nothing. Not that there was much to say. He moved his arm from her waist and took her hand in his own. The two of them walked out of the pirate hall, both of them consumed with thoughts of what was to come the next time the sun rose.


	73. At World's End: Chapter 22

Kitty felt the tears streaming down her face as she watched the casket containing her miscarried daughter sunk to the bottom of the sea. She was supposed to grow up in comfort with her brother.  She was supposed to live happily and fall in love and have kids of her own to love. But all that was taken away from Amelia before she ever got the chance to be born. And despite the fact that Kitty knew it wasn’t her fault, she couldn’t shake the overwhelming voices in her head telling her all of the “what if’s” and “if she hadn’t’s.” James’ face remained steely as he held back his tears. She knew he’d never allow himself to break in front of everyone who was here; especially because Jack Sparrow and Hector Barbossa, two pirates who he had once chased, were standing behind them.

Everyone present was silent. Lydia, Elizabeth, Alice, Jack, Barbossa, the other crew members of the _Empress_ and the _Black Pearl_ … The only sounds any of them could hear were the cries of Connor and the usual bustle of the city behind them.  It was as if her newborn niece knew that she’d lost her cousin. The normally quiet baby hadn’t started crying until Amelia’s casket had been brought out from the ship. For many moments all present remained silent. Kitty didn’t register anyone around her. She had no idea how long she stood there at her husband’s side. She had no idea when anyone left, save for when Alice placed her hand on her shoulder. “I’m so sorry,” Alice said softly. Behind her, Jack was holding their infant daughter. Kitty knew Alice must have been feeling guilty; she had her daughter while Kitty lost hers. Alice hugged her tightly, not letting go for many moments. She let go and turned around, disappearing back to the _Pearl_ with Jack.

Lydia was the next to approach Kitty with Barbossa close behind her. She wrapped both Kitty and James tightly in her arms. “If you need anything at all, Hector and I are staying at the _Little Dagger_ tonight. Don’t hesitate to ask for me,” Lydia said to them. Kitty nodded and squeezed her sister back. Lydia let go and stepped back to Barbossa, who almost immediately wrapped his arm back around her waist.

"My condolences," Barbossa said. The pair of them turned back around and disappeared into the evening crowds that resided around the docks. Kitty looked around her; only her, James, and Elizabeth were left standing on that dock. Kitty wanted to both run away from this spot and never return and also stand here forever and never leave. Part of her wished that perhaps, by some miracle, her daughter would be brought back to her like Jack came to Alice or Barbossa came back to Lydia.

"It's not fair," Kitty suddenly found herself whispering to her husband. "But then again life isn't exactly partial to anyone. It loves to make us suffer until we die."

"It's not life that's the problem," Elizabeth responded. "It's the men that control it; men like Beckett who decide that they can control who lives or dies. Who suffers and who lives their days in comfort." Kitty looked down and nodded. James rubbed his wife's shoulder and pressed a kiss to her temple.

"Come on, Katherine," he murmured to her. "We both need our rest for tomorrow." Kitty blinked back her tears and nodded. She wiped her eyes and looked into the water one last time before turning around and boarding the _Empress_ with her husband and sister. Elizabeth disappeared below the deck, into the crew's quarters. She'd offered the Captain's cabin to both James and Kitty given their current circumstances. The Norringtons entered the dimly-lit cabin. Kitty felt herself collapse onto to the bed almost immediately. James shut the door behind him and then rushed to her side, rubbing her shoulder and back as her body shook with her sobs.

"Please don't go to fight tomorrow," she whispered. "Please, I can't lose you too. Not again." She felt James' hand stop moving for a moment. She looked up at him, her brown eyes meeting his blue. His expression was tense, almost unreadable.

"I have to," he said almost stiffly. "The pirates need every able-bodied sailor they can get."

"I know," Kitty said, taking his hand in her own. "I just wish all of this would never have happened. I wish we could go back to those days when we were stealing kisses behind closed doors and whispering to each other about our lives together."

"You would play music in our salon," he said. "Little James would be playing with his blocks."

"His younger sister would be sleeping in her crib," Kitty said. "Father would be there. Lydia and Elizabeth and even Alice... I wouldn't have even minded Barbossa or Sparrow. Just anyone but Beckett." James squeezed her hand back and let out a soft smile.

"And that's why I must fight tomorrow; so we can still have that life together," James said. "Our lives will never be the same as we had hoped, but at the very least we can still be able to have that hope for both us and our children and their children and so on." Kitty sat up and stroked her husband's cheek. She leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips.

"Come back to me, James Norrington," she said. “I won’t lose you a second time in my life.” James brought her closer and kissed her back. It wasn't the most passionate kiss the two had ever shared, but it conveyed the message that both were silently telling each other; the fact that this could very well be their last night together. War was unpredictable; one stray bullet could end their hopes and dreams and future. One swipe of the sword could end him. The two of them sat in silence that entire night; neither one of them daring to fall asleep or let the other go. Not even when the sun first began to rise.

* * *

Lydia walked into the loud, boisterous tavern and almost immediately felt like shrinking into herself. She still wasn’t quite used to the noisier aspects of pirate life. The drunkenness, the lawlessness, the general disarray… all of that was still quite foreign to her. Yet it didn’t feel as if she’d never adjust to it. She would just need a little extra time. Lydia could hear the clangs tankard and the breaking of glasses as Hector made his way up to the barkeeper and dropped a few coins into his hand. The squat little man brought up two mugs of some kind of alcohol a moment later and shoved them into Hector’s hands. He motioned for her to follow him over to a table in a darker corner of the tavern. Lydia clutched the garments in her arms and hurried to that back table with him. The clothes in her arms were another gift from Alice. It contained a pair of trousers, a shirt, and a green linen coat. In Alice’s exact words, “It’ll be harder to fight a battle in skirts. Trust me; I’ve done it before. Hated every moment of it.”

Lydia sat down in one of the chairs and let out a deep, long sigh. Hector let out a ghost of a laugh as he took a seat next to her. “I think we all feel that way, right now,” he said. He put one of the glasses in front of her and took a long, long drink of his own. Lydia tentatively looked into her glass and peered at the dark liquid within. Hector arched an eyebrow at her and then suddenly smirked. “You’ve ne’er had rum before, have ye?” he asked.

“Never,” Lydia replied. He let out a laugh and took another long swig of his rum. “You’re surprised?”

“Amused,” Hector said. He nodded towards her glass and said, “Go on, then. Not a true pirate ‘til ye drink rum.” Lydia let out a small smirked and looked down at her glass once again. They were going to war tomorrow; no better time to throw caution to the wind. She lifted up the glass and drank a large gulp of the rum. Almost immediately, she started coughing from the burn of the alcohol as it made its way down her throat. She wasn’t even sure she tasted a single thing; she just felt the sting and heat of it.

“My god,” she gasped out. Hector merely sat there laughing his signature (and currently annoying) laugh, drinking more of his rum. “How do you stand this?”

“We don’t drink rum for the taste nor for the mere pleasure of drinkin’ it,” he said. “We drink it to get absolutely pissed.” Lydia coughed again and stared down at the offending liquid.

“I can see how it gets the job done,” Lydia said.

“Aye,” Hector agreed. He moved his chair closer to her and leaned in. “How are ye holding up?”

“In what regard?” Lydia asked almost bitterly.

“Everything,” he said. He took her hand and gave it a quick squeeze. “I have the key for our room, but I figured ye needed a drink first. You’ve not had the time to rest in ages.” Lydia looked down at her much friendlier looking drink. How was it that he seemed to know exactly what she needed? It wasn’t as if they’d been together all that long. Perhaps that’s what made her love him so much; the fact that she didn’t need to say a single thing for him to understand exactly what she was thinking. With that in mind, she took another drink of the rum. It burned a lot less going down this time around; probably because she no longer had any sense of feeling in her throat. Hector let out a ghost of a laugh and said, “That bad, aye?”

“Tomorrow determines a lot,” she said. “It’s hard to put that out of my mind.” Hector looked down and nodded.

“Aye,” he said. “But all will go well. I have all the pieces of eight, after all. I care not what our King says; I’m releasing Calypso and upholding my end of our bargain.” Lydia let out a hint of a smile. Normally she hated his talent for finding every available loophole, but it was slowly dawning on her that the particular skill could be useful every now and again. “I wish I could offer to let you stay ashore. The selfish part of me almost wants to demand you stay here, if for no other reason than to ensure you stay safe. But we sorely need you, Lyddie. We need your gifts on that battlefield.” Lydia gulped and looked back up at him.

“I don’t want to see you die a second time,” she suddenly said. Hector gave her hand another squeeze and brought it up to his face to kiss the back of it.

“Ye won’t,” he said. “I promise ye; I’ll not die tomorrow. Neither will you. I fought my way to the Locker to bring ye back. I won’t let him send ye back.”

“I thought you went to the Locker to get Jack’s piece of eight?” Lydia asked.

“A lesser motivation,” Hector replied. “But ultimately not me main goal in that venture.” Lydia let out a soft smile at that and squeezed his hand back.

“Thank you,” she said. “I realize I’ve never said that until now, but thank you. For everything.”

“I’d ne’er leave ye to suffer in that Locker for eternity,” he replied. Lydia looked around her at all the bawdy, drunken men and loud, boisterous women. This tavern somehow seemed a lot smaller now than it did earlier in the evening. She took one last drink of her rum, finishing the cup in its entirety.

“It’s starting to feel a little too crowded in here for me,” Lydia said. Hector finished off his glass of rum and stood up. “Hector, if you wish to stay down here longer-”

“Lyddie,” he said. “I’d rather spend the eve of battle with ye than sit at a bar alone all night, nursing rum after rum as I let me own thoughts consume me. Nor do I think you want to sit alone with only the bitch in yer head for company.” Almost instantaneously, Lydia felt Thetis’s consciousness rush into her own in a blaze of fury.

 _Excuse me, ‘bitch?’_ Thetis suddenly chimed in. _Sorry, I was trying to leave you alone, but seriously? Since when have I done anything to get you in trouble? Well… I mean excluding the thing where I back talked Davy Jones or convinced you to possess that dolphin or… wow, okay, I think I might have some self-reflection to do all night. I’ll leave you be until the battle._ With that, Lydia felt Thetis’ presence completely retreat, leaving Lydia alone in her mind once more.

“Fair enough,” Lydia finally said. The pair of them set their empty glasses on the table. Lydia picked her bundle of clothes up again with her free arm. Hector didn’t let go of her hand as they weaved in and out of the tavern’s patrons, nor when they made their way up the rickety, creaky, alcohol-soaked wooden stairs. She had no idea what room they were even in, but clearly Hector did. He approached a door and unlocked it. Lydia let go of his hand and entered the room, setting her clothes on the table in the corner. Hector followed, closing and locking the door behind him. Only now did he betray his true emotions; she could see a bit of doubt and fear and worry behind his blue eyes. She sat down on the bed, almost immediately feeling the frame of it through the thin mattress. “Don’t lie to me, Hector. Something about tomorrow is bothering you,” she said. Hector let out a ghost of a laugh and strolled up to the bed, sitting down next to her.

“Aye,” he said. “But it’s nothin’ we haven’t talked about before.” Lydia took his hand in her own and leaned her head against his broad shoulder.

“I believe in you,” she said. Hector kissed the top of her head.

“Ye deserve far better than I,” he said. “There’s a lot I can’t give ye.”

“You give me what matters,” Lydia replied. “That’s all I care about.” She let out a smile and added, “I’m glad we finally have a moment alone, where can just breathe and be together. We haven’t had that since we left the Locker.”

“Nay,” Hector replied, suddenly smirking. “We haven’t.” Lydia furrowed her brown and narrowed her eyes at the man. What was going through his head right now? She got her answer as quickly as she thought of the question when he tilted her chin up and pressed his lips against her own.

Lydia brought her hand to his face and pulled him even closer to her. His arms moved around her waist, closing the last bit of any distance that might have remained between the two of them. She finally tasted the rum they drank earlier on his lips. She could feel her heart beating so fast that she thought it might fly out of her chest at that very moment. She barely registered the moment when her back hit the thin mattress of the bed. She didn’t care about the hard slats of wood pressing against her spine; she just cared about Hector and his touch. She almost felt the trail of fire as his hands moved down her side, pulling her hips closer to him. Did she moan just now? She wasn’t entirely certain. Not that she could ever blame herself for that when every part of her loved what he was doing to her.

Suddenly, he stopped and pulled away, staring down at her from above. “God, I love ye,” he whispered to her. He was breathing just as heavily as she was right now. He rested his forehead against hers as if he just wanted to enjoy being able to be near her.

“And I you,” Lydia whispered back. She gave him one more peck on the lips and then looked back up at him. “We can survive this. Tomorrow we _will_ free Calypso, and we _will_ destroy Beckett.”

“Aye, me lover,” he said back. He moved off of her and sat up on the bed. Lydia almost immediately curled up next to him as his arm wrapped around her. “There’s not a thing in this world that can stop us.” For the rest of the night, Lydia and Hector stayed exactly as they were, occasionally nodding off wrapped in each other’s arms.

* * *

Alice sat down on top of the table in the Captain’s cabin of the _Pearl._ She couldn’t help but smile as she watched Jack hold their daughter, making all manner of ridiculous faces at her. Little Conner seemed as if she was enjoying that; she kept reaching for Jack’s beard and hair and cooed or gurgled every so often. “Having fun, there?” she asked teasingly. Jack smirked up at her and shrugged. Alice looked down and frowned. So many things could go wrong tomorrow…

“Love? What is it?” Alice looked up at Jack and shook her head.

“Stabbing the heart… are you still sure you want to do that?” Alice asked. Jack rolled his eyes and avoided looking at Alice. Of course he was going to do this again… the last time they argued about this he completely shut down and refused to speak about it. He always had the tendency to do that when he believed he was right about something. “I know you don’t want hear this, Jack, but you need to be absolutely certain you want to make those kinds of sacrifices. Because… Jack, I don’t know that Connor and I can follow you onto the _Dutchman_.”

“Of course you could!” Jack said.

“We can’t!” Alice snapped back. “A baby going between worlds to ferry souls? Do you honestly think that that kind of life would be good for her? On the _Pearl_ she could at least be around other humans!” She tensed her jaw and looked down at the wooden floor of the cabin. “I don’t want our daughter to grow up and literally turn into part of that ship. Jack, I know you. You won’t keep up with those duties and you’ll end just exactly like Jones.”

“I won’t-”

“You don’t know that,” Alice said softly. “Your father is right, Jack. It’s not about living forever; it’s about living with yourself. And I honestly don’t think I could live with myself if I made our daughter grow up between worlds.” Jack tensed his jaw and looked more sober than she’d ever seen him look.

“It don’t matter what I say,” he said. “If I stab that heart, you’re not following me.”

“Yes,” Alice replied. “I guess that’s exactly what I’m saying.” She got up off the table and sat down next to Jack. She rested her hand on his shoulder and looked into the face of her daughter. “I love you, Jack. Never doubt that. But my life has to be for her now. If that means I don’t see you for ten years at a time, then that’s the sacrifice I have to make to know that I’m giving her the best chance at life that I can give her.” She shook her head and then looked right into Jack’s brown eyes. “We’ve always been selfish people, Jack. You’re not going to stab that heart for us. You’re going to stab it for you, and we both know it.” Alice climbed into their bed and lied down. “It’s going to be a long night and a long day tomorrow. Just… just please think about it. Ultimately, it’s your choice. You’re the one that needs to decide how much you want the _Dutchman._ Not me.” She turned on her side, completely ready to try and fall asleep. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her leg.

“Al,” he said. She heard him gulp and then whisper, “I love you. I always will.”

“I know,” she replied. “No matter what you do tomorrow, I know that you love me and Connor. And we’ll both survive this. Our daughter will have both parents alive. That’s all I want for her.” She heard him move off of the bed and lay Connor down next to her. The cabin door creaked open as Jack left and then the door shut behind him. Maybe he wanted to think, maybe he just wanted to be alone. She wasn’t sure. She turned around and watched as Connor started to fall asleep next to her. A few moments later, Alice let herself drift away into a brief, dreamless sleep.


	74. At World's End: Chapter 23

Alice pressed a kiss to her daughter’s forehead and fought the urge to just stay there, in Shipwreck Cove. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up into the face of her sister. Alice knew Connor would be safe with Kitty; she was the best person here to watch over her daughter. Yet part of Alice screamed at her to not leave her daughter behind and go into battle. “You don’t have to worry,” Kitty said softly. Alice took a deep breath and nodded slowly.

“Mummy loves you,” she whispered to Connor. “Never forget that. And I will come back for you, I promise.” The sleeping child let out a gurgle and settled further into her swaddle. Alice handed her to Kitty, who immediately brought her closer to her chest. “Thank you, Kitty. For watching over her.”

“Your place today is fighting Beckett,” Kitty said. “Mine is to be here and watch over my niece.” She let out an almost bitter smile and added, “Kick that bastard’s arse for me.”

“I’ll shoot him at least once for you,” Alice replied with a smirk.

“More would be preferable,” Kitty replied. Her face suddenly went steely again. “He took away our father, Lydia’s sanity, and my child. Make him suffer.”

“I intend to,” Alice replied. “So does every other pirate going out there today.” She rested a hand on Kitty’s shoulder and said, “And I promise that I’ll get Norrington’s ass back here for you. He’s not dying on my watch.” Kitty nodded slowly and turned her head to the left. Her husband stood there, speaking with Jack and Elizabeth about something or another. His knowledge of East India Trading Company tactics had been invaluable to them so far. It made it far easier to make battle plans with James Norrington around to guide them.

“Thank you,” Kitty said.

“You’re my sister,” Alice said. “I’d do anything for you.” Kitty smiled and looked down at little Connor. “You’re all set at the _Little Dagger_ then?”

“I am,” Kitty said. She wrapped her free arm around Alice and hugged her tightly. “All of you come back alive. I’ll be here the moment you return.” Alice hugged Kitty back, pulled away a little, and kissed Connor’s head once again. “Connor will be safe. I promise.” Alice nodded. She knew Connor would stay safe for that entire battle… so why was she so full of fear and anxiety? Why did she feel like something was going to happen during that battle? She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t even notice Norrington and Jack approach. Jack gently rubbed Connor’s head and then made his way onto the _Pearl_ without another word.

“We’ll sail as soon as Barbossa and Lydia show up,” Norrington finally said.

“Then it won’t be long, now, will it?” Norrington immediately spun around and widened his eyes at the sight of Barbossa and Lydia. Barbossa stood there with a smirk on his face and his arm around Lydia’s waist. Alice smiled at Lydia and nodded approvingly at the clothes she loaned her. The green linen coat and dark pants suited her, especially on the day of battle. Her sword sat on her right hip, which made sense given that her left arm was her sword arm. Alice herself was dressed for battle as well, finally wearing trousers again for the first time in moths and once again donning one of her favorite dark coats. Her own hat, which she named Greta, sat perfectly atop her head. Her swords and guns were at her hip, readied for war. Barbossa and Lydia approached the small party and exchanged glances with everyone. “We’d best not waste time,” Barbossa said. “Beckett gets closer every minute.”

“He’s right,” Lydia said. Her jaw very obviously tensed. “We don’t have even a moment to lose. I keep feeling him getting closer and closer… it’s suffocating, to say the least.” Alice looked at the two of them and nodded. She looked back at Kitty, nodded, and then looked down at Connor, who was still sound asleep.

“Until we return,” Alice finally said. Kitty nodded, very clearly holding back tears. Norrington pressed a kiss to his wife’s lips before turned towards the _Pearl_ and boarding the ship. Alice took a deep breath and did the same, closely followed by Barbossa and Lydia. The three of them boarded the _Black Pearl_ and immediately went to their stations. As they set sail, Alice could still feel that foreboding sense of doom in the pit of her stomach. Everything had to go well today; their entire survival depended on it.

* * *

Lydia stood on the deck of the ship next to Hector. She looked around her at the many men next to her and the many, many ships surrounding them. They had some numbers, yes, but would it be enough to outmatch Beckett? She could feel how tense her jaw was right now from how much she was clenching her teeth together. An anxious energy filled the air and filled the seas. No one here was entirely certain they’d come out of this alive, except for maybe Jack. The mists swirled around them, adding to the energy of uncertainty that lingered endlessly. They all stood there for many, many moments, staring blankly ahead awaiting their enemy’s appearance. She felt a hand grip her own and looked over at Hector. His expression gave away nothing, but she could somehow tell he was nervous about this entire battle.

Finally a lone sail appeared out of the fog. “The enemy is here!” Marty shouted. “Let’s take arms!” The men around them all drew their guns and started shouting. Hector merely looked behind him at them and then back to Lydia. She shook her head slowly. That lone sail was just the tip of the iceberg; there were definitely a hell of a lot more to come. And she was completely right. One by one, more ships emerged from the fog and the screams of the pirates slowly died. Lydia couldn’t hold in her gasp. That was a lot more than she anticipated; how many ships did Beckett bring? Did he truly bring the entire armada? She looked over at James, who gulped and tensed his jaw. That answered that… he definitely _did_ bring the entire East India Trading Company armada.

 _Well, you’re fucked,_ Thetis’s voice quipped.

“Shut it,” Lydia whispered to herself. Hector looked down at her for a mere moment before focusing his gaze back to the armada ahead. Cotton’s parrot suddenly squawked and began to fly away, shouting “Abandon ship! Abandon ship!” A thick silence hung over them as the gazes of the men turned to Jack and Elizabeth.

“Parley?” Jack suggested. Elizabeth looked down and nodded.

“Call for a parley,” she said. “Raise the flag.” A man next to Elizabeth nodded and began to raise the white flag with the black skull and crossbones, signaling the call for a parley.

“There’s a sandbar ahead,” Hector said as he let go of the rigging. “Best spot for this parlay to happen.” Elizabeth nodded in agreement.

“Jack, Barbossa, Lydia, I want the three of you with me,” Elizabeth said. Lydia was about to open her mouth when Hector cut her off.

“There’s no way in God’s green earth I’m letting that man anywhere _near_ Lydia,” Hector snapped. “Are ye a damned fool? Or do ye not realize how much he put her through?”

“Hector,” Lydia said softly, putting her hand on his shoulder. “I’ll go. There’re quite a few things that need saying.” Hector let out a low growl, but nodded in the end. They looked back over to the armada, waiting for their response. Lydia let out a breath of relief when they finally saw them raising a flag, signaling their agreement to the parley. “That’s that then. Shall we?” Alice ran up to the four of them and hugged Lydia tightly.

“I’ll maintain the ship with Norrington,” Alice said. “All of you better come back.”

“We will, love,” Jack said. “After all, I’m Captain Jack Sparrow.” Alice rolled her eyes and pecked him on the lips. She disappeared back into the crowd of pirates, shouting out various orders that Lydia couldn’t quite pick up. Jack the Monkey suddenly squealed loudly and jumped onto Hector’s shoulder. Lydia let out a small laugh at the action. Apparently that monkey was coming along with them. Pintel and Ragetti had already started to lower the longboat. Lydia was the first to descend down the side of the ship into the small dinghy below. Hector followed her, then Jack, and then Elizabeth. Hector was the one who grabbed the oars and started rowing them out to the sandbar ahead. Lydia sighed and touched the water, watching the brown marks appear only on her fingertips.

“I wonder how much we’ll actually accomplish here,” Lydia finally said. “Obviously there’s going to be a lot that’s non-negotiable on both ends.”

“Aye,” Hector said. “Beckett doesn’t strike me as the type to compromise.”

“He isn’t,” Lydia said. “Trust me…” She saw Hector’s take a low, deep breath, as if he were holding back his own anger.

“He’ll give his own terms once we meet,” Elizabeth said. “After that, we decide what we want to take.”

“And then we try to kill each other,” Lydia added. Jack was uncharacteristically silent the entire time, as if he were weighing a lot within his own mind. It wasn’t entirely her business, but she had noticed some tension between Jack and Alice. Not that Lydia was the only one that noticed; surely others had as well by now. Lydia could feel the anxious energy of the seas radiating off the water. It almost felt draining, to say the least.

At last the quartet (and monkey) reached the sandbar. Lydia was one of the first to get out of the boat and help guide it to the shoreline. Hector jumped out with her and helped drag the dinghy aground. Both Jack and Elizabeth stepped out last. On the other side of the sandbar, Lydia could see four figures standing there, already waiting patiently for them. She felt her heart stop as soon as she looked at Cutler Beckett and Davy Jones. She could already feel the bile rising in her throat at the mere sight of them. She had to be strong, though. She had to show them that they hadn’t won; that they hadn’t broken her. Lydia tensed her jaw and immediately took Hector’s hand in her own, as if she were using him to draw strength. He squeezed her hand back as the four of them began to march down that sandbar to meet with Beckett, Jones, Mercer, and none other than Will Turner himself.

The air was definitely tense; both sides very much wanted to kill everyone on the other. Everyone there felt betrayed by someone else on the other side. Elizabeth by Will, Will by Jack, Lydia by Beckett, and so on and so forth. They walked for a great many moments; Lydia could feel the weight of both Beckett’s lust for her and Jones’s scorn for her. Yet Hector managed to keep her completely tethered to reality. Oh yes… she could get through this parley with him at her side. At long last, the pirates came face to face with their adversaries. It was almost amusing to Lydia to see the trail of buckets used to get Jones onto the sandbar. He must have felt humiliated, especially with his greatest weakness on such prominent display.

“Dearest,” Beckett said, smirking at Lydia. “I had hoped you’d join us.”

 _Please let me out so I can drown his ass,_ Thetis suddenly said. Lydia let out a small smirk at the Nereid’s comments. At least it was good to know that they were definitely on the same page.

“I’m not your ‘dearest,’” Lydia growled. Beckett merely shrugged and inspected her in an almost sickening way. She felt Hector’s grip on her hand tighten.

“For now,” was all he said after a great many moments. She could feel Hector grow tenser; she could practically feel the rage radiating off of him. Lydia squeezed Hector’s hand back, as if to remind him of why they were actually there. He took a breath and turned his gaze to Will.

“So,” Hector said, looking directly at Will. “You be the cur that led these wolves to our door.”

“Don’t blame Turner,” Beckett said. “He was merely the tool of your betrayal. If you wish to see its grand architect, look to your left.” Immediately Lydia, Hector, and Elizabeth’s gazes all turned towards Jack. Lydia rolled her eyes as Jack himself looked to his left, as if feigning innocence. Why was she not surprised? Jack frowned and winced at the glares of the three of them.

“My hands are clean in this,” Jack said. He glanced at his own hands and shrugged. “Figuratively.”

“My actions were my own and to my own purpose. Jack had nothing to do with it,” Will said.

“Well spoke,” Jack said. “Listen to the tool.” Elizabeth tensed her jaw and shook her head.

“Will, I’ve been aboard the _Dutchman_ , I understand the burden you bear, but I fear that cause is lost,” Elizabeth said. Based on what Lydia had seen aboard the _Dutchman_ herself… There was no way for Will to successfully free his father. At least not until someone else stabbed the Heart.

“No cause is lost if there is but one fool left to fight for it,” Will said.

“Yet that person is a fool all the same, is he not?” Lydia countered. Will looked down, not daring to meet Lydia’s eyes.

“If Turner was not acting on your behalf, then how did he come to give me this?” Beckett asked. He held up a very, very familiar compass. Hector and Lydia exchanged glances, immediately knowing what Jack had been doing all this time. He really had sold them out to Beckett. Jack Sparrow would have never given away that compass unless he knew he was going to get it back. “You made a deal with me, Jack, to deliver the pirates, and here they are.” Beckett threw the compass at Jack and smirked arrogantly. “Don’t be bashful, step up. Claim your reward.”

“Your debt to me is still to be satisfied,” Jones suddenly shouted. He glared at him and said, “One hundred years in service aboard the _Dutchman_. As a start.”

“That debt was paid, mate,” Jack said. He gestured to Elizabeth and Barbossa and added, “With help.”

“You escaped!” Jones shouted. His steely gaze turned to Lydia. “And if your husband had no claim on ye, you’d be back in the Locker where all of your kind belong.” Lydia tensed her jaw and let out a low growl.

“If your tactic is intimidation, then I’m afraid you’re failing,” Lydia said. “It’s hard for me to be scared with that trail of buckets behind you.” Jones opened his mouth, as if to say more, when Elizabeth suddenly chimed in.

“I propose an exchange,” she said. All eyes immediately went to her, curious about what she’d offer. “Will leaves with us and you can take Jack.” Hector immediately widened his eyes and shot a harsh confused glare at Elizabeth. Lydia looked between the two. That wasn’t discussed at all. Not to mention they didn’t have Jack’s piece of eight with them. They needed thatWill had betrayed them all for his own selfish reasons, and now Elizabeth wanted him back for her own?

“Done,” Will said.

“Undone!” Jack shouted.

“Done!” Beckett shouted. Hector let go of Lydia’s hand and stormed over to Elizabeth.

“Jack’s one of the nine Pirate Lords,” he hissed. “You have no right!” Elizabeth merely smirked and let out a ghost of a laugh.

“King,” she simply said. Hector tensed his jaw and hardened his glare. If he could have, Lydia was entirely certain that he would slap Elizabeth across the face. Jack sighed and took off his hat, bowing mockingly at Elizabeth.

“As you command, your Names,” Jack said. “And please let my dear Alice know where exactly I am.” Elizabeth frowned and looked away from Jack.

“Laggard!” Hector suddenly shouted. He drew his sword and swiftly cut the trinket that hug from Jack’s bandana. Wait… was that the piece of eight? Jack the Monkey jumped off of Hector’s shoulder and grabbed the coin that lay in the sand. Hector stalked up to Jack, glare at him with nothing short of pure contempt. “If ye have something to say, I might be sayin’ something as well.” Lydia knew exactly what this exchange was about; whose plan will come to fruition first. Jack glared back at Hector and shrugged.

“First to the finish, then?” Jack asked. Hector didn’t respond; he only kept his steely gaze locked onto Jack. Jack looked over at Will and the two began to walk towards the other’s side, officially switching places as per their agreement.

“You realize you’ve just given Alice more reason to hate you, correct?” Lydia whispered to Elizabeth. “This isn’t a move about tactics; it’s about your own desires.”

“Then it’s a good thing I don’t care,” Elizabeth replied. Lydia tensed her jaw at that response. That certainly wasn’t the answer she wanted to hear. Jack moved to stand on Beckett’s side, but Beckett motioned for Jack to make his way to Davy Jones. Jack winced at the sight of Jones and then put his hat back on.

“Do you fear death?” Jones asked as he leaned in close to Jack’s ear. Jack winced and shrunk into himself.

“You’ve no idea,” he answered. Beckett stepped away from Jones and Jack and addressed Elizabeth directly.

“Advise your brethren, you can fight and all of you will die, or you can not fight in which case only most of you will die,” he said.

“You murdered my father,” Elizabeth spat.

“He chose his own fate,” Beckett responded. Lydia felt the anger rise within her. He chose his own fate? That was all Beckett had to say about killing her father? About killing his own kin by marriage? Her father never chose his fate; Beckett chose that fate for him.

“And you have chosen yours,” Elizabeth said. “We will fight, and you will die.” Beckett only let out an amused smirk, like he doubted her words. Beckett turned to Lydia and took a few steps towards her. Hector stood in front of her, as if he were guarding her from Beckett’s advance.

“Lydia,” Beckett said. “This is your last chance. You’re returning to the _Endeavour._ How willingly you do so is up to you.”

“No,” she said. “I’m not. I’m remaining exactly where I stand.” Beckett tensed his jaw and let out a low chuckle.

“Might I remind you that as your husband I own you?” Beckett said. “You are _mine_.” Lydia already felt the tide of water rising besides her. His? He really wanted to claim ownership over her? Like a common dog?

“I am not yours,” Lydia spat. “And you do _not_ own me. As my sister said before me; we will fight. And I will enjoy every moment of watching you die. Perhaps I can be lucky enough to be the one to kill you. Perhaps not. But I guarantee you, Cutler Beckett, that your _will_ meet your end today.” Beckett let out a small chuckle at her. Lydia dropped the spiraling column of water next to her, turned on her heel, and began to march back to the longboat. Hector immediately followed behind her with Jack the Monkey once again on his shoulder.

“So be it, dearest,” Beckett called out as the four pirates all made their way back to their dinghy. Lydia held back her fury and Thetis’s fury as much as she possibly could. How dare he? How _dare_ he? She felt a hand on her back and immediately knew it was Hector’s. His face was lined in a harsh, harsh scowl that she hadn’t seen on him since the days he was cursed. He didn’t even blink as he held out his hand for Jack the Monkey to give him Jack Sparrow’s piece of eight.

“If you don’t kill him, I will,” Hector growled.

“We could share the murder,” Lydia replied with a slight smirk. Hector let out slight scoff before resuming his deep scowl. He got what he needed from Jack, but he definitely still wasn’t happy with how this parley turned out in the end.

“King?” Will suddenly asked.

“Of the Brethren Court,” Elizabeth explained. “Per say of Jack.”

“Maybe he really does know what he’s doing,” Will muttered.

“Unlike you,” Lydia added. Both Elizabeth and Will sent shocked glances in her direction, but said nothing. Lydia didn’t want to bother explaining her opinion on the matter to the two of them. Elizabeth wasn’t nearly as clever as she thought she was right now. But that could be handled later. Right now there were two battles about to be fought; one between pirates and the East India Trading Company, the other between Elizabeth and Alice. There was no way hell would erupt between the two after Elizabeth traded Jack away for the man who betrayed them all.


	75. At World's End: Chapter 24

“Alice!”

Alice spun around at the sound of her name. Norrington was rushing up to her, looking slightly more worried than he did before. “They’re coming back, you’re not going to be happy with who is and isn’t there,” he said. Alice immediately frowned and stormed towards the side of the ship. There was one person who better not have been gone and one person they definitely shouldn’t have brought back with them. Alice tensed her jaw as both Barbossa and Lydia climbed back onto the deck. Their facial expressions told Alice almost everything that she needed to know about what happened at the parley.

“Please tell me Jack is with you right now,” Alice said as she marched up to the two of them.

“I could but I’d be lyin’,” Barbossa hissed. “Neither of us are happy about it, I assure ye.” Alice tensed her jaw and nodded slowly. Yep. She had definitely made up her mind now. She was murdering the Pirate King. Nothing was going to stop her now. Will was the first to make his way onto the deck, closely followed by Elizabeth.

“We’ll need to use the _Black Pearl_ as our flagship to lead the attack,” Elizabeth was saying to him as they walked across the deck. Alice stormed up to them and immediately slapped Will across the face as hard as she possibly could.

“Are you serious!?” she screamed at Elizabeth. “You traded Jack, one of the Pirate Lords, for the traitor that led Beckett to our doorstep on the off-chance he could save his father?”

“Jack always has a plan!” Elizabeth snapped back. “You of all people should know that!”

“Yes, but since when have any of his plans actually gone well?” Alice questioned. Will suddenly paused and pointed at Alice.

“Wait, did you have your baby?” Will asked. Alice let out a huff and rolled her eyes. She slaps him and _that’s_ what he asks first?

“Yes,” Alice said. “It’s a girl, she’s fine, she’s with Kitty. But Elizabeth, the plan wasn’t to trade Jack.”

“Plans change,” Elizabeth replied.

“Just like right now,” Lydia interrupted. “Sorry, Elizabeth.” Alice turned around and watched as several of Barbossa’s men led a very, very heavily roped Tia Dalma onto the deck. Alice dropped her jaw when she looked between Barbossa and Lydia and realized what was going to happen. Barbossa was really going to release Calypso. She sent a worried glance towards Norrington who also looked none too please. Based off of his current experiences with the supernatural, she wasn’t surprised.

“Barbossa, are you insane?” Alice asked as she stormed up to him.

“You can’t release her,” Will said.

“For once I agree with Turner,” Norrington said. “It’s too rash. We have no idea what she’ll do when free.”

“I can’t believe I’m actually agreeing with Will and Norrington on this, but you cannot under any circumstances release Calypso,” Alice snapped. Barbossa merely stared ahead, his arms crossed and his face stony. He gave a single nod and suddenly his men were holding guns at Elizabeth, Will, and Norrington. Lydia held a very similar expression as she stared at Calypso. “Lydia, why are you not stopping this?”

“Because I also want to release her,” Lydia replied. Her eyes narrowed at Elizabeth, Will, and Alice. “I’m a Nereid. Calypso created us. Do you really think that I _wouldn’t_ want to see her free from human form? And no, this isn’t entirely Thetis speaking right now; it’s Lydia too.” Alice looked over at Norrington. Unfortunately, her reasoning made sense. It was clear that she never would have opposed this. She probably already knew about Barbossa’s intentions from the start.

“But we need to give Jack a chance,” Elizabeth snapped.

“Apologies, your Majesty,” Barbossa sneered. “Too long my fate has not been in me own hands.” He reached up and grabbed the necklace that sat around Elizabeth’s neck. “No longer,” he said as he gave the necklace a swift yank. He walked over to one of Elizabeth’s men, who held the bowl of the previously collected pieces of eight in front of Tia Dalma.

“Barbossa,” Alice said. She groaned and added, “Hector, please. Reconsider this!”

“We can’t,” Lydia said. “We _must_ release her.” Barbossa didn’t even bother to turn around; he just stood by the bowl and dropped Jack and Elizabeth’s pieces of eight into the bowl, one at a time. Alice had to move closer to the scene. There was no changing Barbossa’s mind now, nor the people who clearly followed his belief that releasing Calypso was their best option.

“Be there some manner of rite or incantation?” Gibbs asked.

“Aye,” Barbossa said. “The items brought together, done. Items to be burned…” Ragetti came over to Barbossa with one of the cannon lighters. Gibbs began to pour some of his precious rum into the bowl. “And someone must speak the words: ‘Calypso, I release you from your human bonds.’”

“Is that it?” Pintel asked.

“Obviously not,” Lydia said. Yet her voice changed slightly, as if her own accent was diminishing.

“Tis said it must be spoken as if to a lover,” Barbossa said with a smirk in Lydia’s direction. All the men grew instantaneously immature and ‘ooh’d’ and ‘ah’d’ and exchanged chuckles. Both Alice and Lydia rolled their eyes at the men. Norrington’s own face remained stoic. Barbossa took a deep breath and held the lighter in his hand.

“Calypso!” he shouted. “I release you from your human bonds!” Lydia’s face twisted in confusion as Barbossa lowered the lighter into the bowl. The lighter smoked, but nothing ignited. Barbossa frowned and inspected the lighter when nothing happened.

“ _That’s_ how you would say that to me?” Lydia asked. “Really?” Barbossa immediately blanched and looked down at the ground, avoiding Lydia’s grey gaze. She imitated him by grandly throwing her arms into the air and shouting, “Calypso I release you from you human bonds!” If the situation at the moment wasn’t so dire, Alice would probably be laughing at the two of them right now. Lydia let out a scoff and added, “What woman wants to be screamed at, Hector?”

“Darling…” he said slowly.

“She’s right,” Ragetti said. “He didn’t say it right.” Barbossa turned to Ragetti with a glare and a cocked eyebrow.

“Then by all means, show me how I should be speaking to my lover,” he said. Ragetti gulped and nodded. He came up close to Tia Dalma, right next to her ear.

“Calypso,” he whispered. “I release you from your human bonds.” Tia Dalma’s eyes rolled into the back of her head and the bowl immediately caught on fire. Lydia suddenly gasped and almost fell to the ground, as if dazed. The only thing that kept her from falling was Barbossa’s arms around her.

“Lyddie!” Barbossa whispered to her. Pintel let go of the bowl and it began to levitate on its own. Tia Dalma began convulsing as the nine pieces of eight burned into ash. Lydia’s own breathing grew shallower and her eyes began to glaze over, as if she weren’t even present on this earth anymore. The vapors of the burned pieces began to go inside of Tia Dalma as she breathed it in.

“Tia Dalma!” Will shouted. Tia Dalma winced as she breathed in the last of the vapors. “Calypso,” Will whispered. Suddenly, her gaze snapped to Will and the bowl dropped. “When the Brethren Court first imprisoned you, who was it that told them how? Who was it that betrayed you?” Calypso glared at Will and let out a low, feral growl. Alice backed away from her, very afraid of the power Calypso was about to possess.

“Name him,” she demanded.

“Davy Jones,” Will said. Calypso’s face turned to one of hurt; one of betrayal. She truly hadn’t know that Davy Jones was the one that told the first court how to find her. She let out a faint cry and then suddenly began to grow in size.

“This is it!” Pintel shouted as he grabbed onto her ropes even tighter. “This is it!” Alice gasped as she backed away further and further from the growing Calypso. As she grew larger, everyone back to back up further away from her. Ropes began to snap and break. The boards of the deck began to creak under the sheer weight of her. Finally, when she reached the height of the main mast, she stopped growing and looked down at the tiny crew of the _Black Pearl_ below. The first to step out was Lydia, who still seemed to be in some kind of half-entranced state.

“Mitéra, sou díno ti dýnamí mou. I písti mou eínai dikí sas chorís amfivolía,” Lydia muttered in a low voice. Was that Greek she was speaking? When did she know how to speak Greek? Or was it even Lydia at all speaking right now? What if it was Thetis who was present at the moment? Lydia seemed to realize this and then furrowed her brow. She turned to the others and asked, “Did any of you understand what I just said?”

“Nay,” Alice whispered back. Lydia gulped and looked back up at Calypso.

“Calypso!” Barbossa shouted. He began to bow down before her. Alice gulped and immediately began to bow along with the rest of the pirates. If there was one thing that was already evident, it was that pissing off Calypso was a terrible, terrible idea. “I come before you as but a servant, humble and contrite. I have fulfilled me vow. I now ask yer favor. Spare meself, me ship, me crew; the ones who protect yer own daughter. But unleash your fury upon those who dare pretend themselves your masters or mine. Let your wrath come to the man who hurt yer child and me lover.” Calypso let out an almost sinister smirk at the pirates below her. She let out a low hum, as if she were chuckling at him.

Suddenly she began to speak at them in some sort of language that Alice couldn’t understand. She spoke as if many women were speaking; voices seemed to be coming from all around them. Every one of them gasped and backed up in fear at Calypso’s voice. Everyone except Lydia, that was. She stayed exactly where she was, listening intently to Calypso’s words. Could Lydia understand her? Calypso suddenly exploded into a large horde of crabs that began to flood the deck and consume every man and woman in sight. Alice held up her arms to protect her face from the many claws that surrounded her. She felt the ship rock as the crabs flew off of the deck and back into the ocean. Then there was silence, save for the whimpering of Pintel and Ragetti as they removed crabs from their person. Norrington was the first to rush up to her and help her to her feet.

“Are you alright?” he asked her.

“I’m fine,” Alice said. “You?” Norrington simply nodded and ran over to the rail to see where that horde of crabs disappeared to.

“What was that?” Will demanded as he rose to his feet. Alice ran over to the side of the ship, searching the waters for the now absent crabs.

“Why, she’s no help at all,” Pintel said. He looked up at Barbossa, who was staring blankly at the sea. That clearly wasn’t what he expected at all. “What now?” Alice turned around and watched Lydia, who was still kneeling on the ground, her expression completely void.

“Lydia?” Alice asked. Lydia turned to Alice and rose to her feet. “Did you happen to understand any of that.”

“Yes,” Lydia finally said. “She’s definitely on our side, but it’s not clear what she’ll do to help or if she’ll even help at all. Regardless, I wouldn’t insult her in front of me Master Pintel, so don’t do it again.” Pintel gulped and began to nod furiously.

“What did she say?” Alice asked. Lydia turned to the crew and let out a deep sigh.

“She said, ‘Across all the waters, find the path to he who wrongfully entombed me,’” Lydia explained. “Like I said, she’s on our side.”

“But didn’t guarantee help?” Barbossa asked. Lydia frowned and shook her head. “Then our final hope has failed us.” Suddenly Alice’s hat blew off of her head and began to soar upwards, into the sky. The entire crew watched it as it floated up towards the heavens. A storm was beginning to brew; that was certain. The ship itself began to rattle ominously.

“It’s not over,” Elizabeth said.

“It certainly feels that way,” Alice grumbled as she leaned against the rail.  

“There’s still a fight to be had,” Will said.

“We’ve an armada against us,” Gibbs said. “And with the _Dutchman_ we have no chance. Not even Lydia could save us.”

“Unfortunately Gibbs is right,” Norrington added. “Especially once we take Beckett’s talent for tactics into account. We’re outmanned and more than likely outsmarted. He knows we’re on the defensive.”

“It’s only a fool’s chance,” Elizabeth said more to herself than anyone else.

“Revenge won’t bring your father back, Miss Swann,” Barbossa said as he walked up to her. Alice immediately frowned and looked at the wooden planks on the deck. Her throat tightened as she bit her lower lip, trying to force those emotions away. “And as much as I love yer sister, I don’t intend on dying for that.” Elizabeth turned around and steeled her face.

“You’re right,” she said. She began to walk away from Barbossa, then suddenly turned back to face him. “Then what shall we die for?” She turned to the crew and stepped up on the rail. “You will listen to me. Listen! The brethren will still be looking here to us, to the _Black Pearl_ to lead, and what will they see?” Alice began to walk closer to Elizabeth, curious as to what she would say. Barbossa crossed his arms as he inspected the scene unfolding before him. “Frightened bilge rats aboard a derelict ship? No! They will see free men, and freedom. And what the enemy will see is the flash of our cannons, they will hear the ring of our swords and they will know what we can do! By the sweat of our brows, and the strength of our backs, and the courage of our hearts...” Alice turned to her crewmates and watched their spirits begin to rise. Barbossa took Lydia’s hand in his own and pressed a kiss to the back of it as she smiled gently at him. “Gentlemen, Sisters, hoist the colors!” Will nodded and smiled.

“Hoist the colors,” he said.

“Hoist the colors!” Alice shouted. A chorus of the phrase began to circle around the deck.

“Aye!” Gibbs shouted. “The wind’s on our side, boys! That’s all we need!” The pirates let out a loud battle cry; a powerful battle cry that Alice was all to glad to join. Yes… they could do this. They had the wind, they had a Nereid, but most importantly they had hope and courage and a desire for freedom and life that nothing, not even Davy Jones or Cutler Beckett could put down. She watched as Lydia and Barbossa both joined in the cries of war. Even Norrington was letting loose, raising his sword and letting out cries with the rest of the men.

“Hoist the colors!” Elizabeth screamed to the other ships. Slowly but surely, Alice heard the battle cries extend across the pirate fleet and the colors of each ship begin to rise. Up went the flag of Ammand, the flag of Mistress Ching, of Sri Sumbahjee, of Villaneuva, of the Gentleman Jocard, and of Chevalle. Elizabeth, Barbossa, Lydia, and Alice began to make their ways to the bridge, watching as their men rallied to arms and hoisted their colors. It was truly a glorious sight to behold. Alice couldn’t help but let out a smile at the scene. She couldn’t help but feel proud of her sister, despite the fact that part of her still held resentment towards Elizabeth.

“We can do this,” Alice said. She looked at Barbossa, Lydia, Elizabeth, Norrington, and Will. “We’ll win this war. We’ll get Jack back. And we will protect our futures and our children’s futures.”

“For our father,” Lydia said.

“For Amelia,” Norrington added.

“For Connor,” Alice finally said with a smile. Suddenly the deck grew deathly silent. The wind seemed to swirl around the deck and distant whispers in an unknown language filled the air. Lydia let out a gasp and backed away from everyone, holding her head tightly. Her face grew vacant, yet it was clear that she was understand every single disembodied whisper that they could hear.

“Lydia?” Norrington asked. Barbossa immediately ran up to her side and began to rub her back.

“Lyddie, what’s happening?” he asked. Lydia’s eyes seemed glazed over. Suddenly the whispering stopped and she looked up.

“I understand,” Lydia said. Yet it was clear she wasn’t talking to any of them. That whispering had to be Calypso’s doing; there was no other explanation. And whatever had been said in those ominous whispers was for Lydia’s ears and Lydia’s ears alone. “I know what I need to do.” She turned Barbossa and simply said, “Catch me.”

“Lyddie?” he asked. Suddenly Lydia’s eyes seemed to roll into the back of her head and she collapsed into Barbossa’s arms. “Lydia!” Her body began to convulse uncontrollably. Barbossa fell to his knees as he gently lowered her further down. Both Alice and Norrington rushed up to her, helpless to whatever plight she was going through. The fear was evident in Barbossa’s eyes; no one knew what was happening to her at the moment. Her eyes were stark white, just as they became whenever Lydia went into one of her trances. But this was definitely different; she’d never begun seizing like this before. Occasion she’d let out a horrifying, rattling gasp. It was like she was unable to breath. Suddenly, the convulsing stopped and her eyes remained shut. “Lydia, stay with me,” Barbossa whispered. It was terrifying for Alice to see Lydia’s limp, unmoving body after such a violent episode. Finally her eyes opened up again, but instead of seeing grey eyes, Alice saw one grey and one blue. What was happening right now?”

“This is… different,” Lydia said. But it definitely didn’t sound like Lydia; the accent was completely different. It wasn’t the posh London accent that Lydia spoke with. In fact, it didn’t seem like there was an accent at all. “Are you there?” Alice furrowed her brow. Who was speaking right now? Was it Thetis? Suddenly Lydia nodded and said, “Yes, I am.” This time, however, it was definitely Lydia’s voice. The accent was back. What was going on? Lydia turned to Barbossa and sat up. “Hector Barbossa, we meet at last,” she said in the unaccented voice. Barbossa widened his eyes in shock and dropped his jaw. He actually backed away from her and tensed his jaw.

“So you’re Thetis,” he said. Lydia… well, Thetis nodded. “And where’s Lydia?”

“I’m here,” Lydia’s own voice said. “It’s… strange. We’re both in control if that makes sense.”

“Relax,” Thetis’s voice said. “It’s not permanent. It’ll only last for this battle. Consider this another gift from my mother.”

“Calypso did this?” Alice asked. Lydia’s head turned towards her and nodded.

“So Barbossa, you’ll still have your lover. And I promise, I’ll leave the two of you alone as much as possible,” Thetis said. She looked up at the sky and let out an almost cocky smirk. “And more assistance should be arriving shortly. Didn’t I say Calypso would help us?” Everyone of them furrowed their brows and looked up. Alice widened her eyes at the sight of the clouds above them, slowly swirling around and around and around. Thunder began to boom across the skies and flashes of lightning peaked out of the clouds. A storm… Calypso was creating a storm. Lydia/Thetis began to rise of her feet with a confident smile on her face. “Barbossa, if you could please make sure that nothing attacks us when we go into battle that would be a tremendous help.” Barbossa nodded and rose to his feet as well. It was clear he wasn’t happy with Thetis and Lydia currently cohabitating a body at this level, but he didn’t exactly have a choice in the matter. “Ready, Lydia?”

“Ready,” Lydia’s voice replied. “I seem to have control of our left side. You have the right.” She nodded, not that the action seemed to make much sense given that the two souls were in the same body at the moment. They took a deep breath and began to move their arms. Rain immediately began to fall upon them, soaking the deck and everyone on it. Suddenly they began to push their arms forward and the _Black Pearl_ lurched ahead. “Everyone needs to be ready. Jones is already pushing forward and he’s definitely not happy about Calypso being freed. His anger has already begun to extend through the waters. Alice, Jack is definitely on that ship. When we’re close enough to board, get him out. Hector, I need you at the wheel. You’re only one that can pull off the maneuver that we need. You’ll know what to do when we get there. Do you understand me?”

“Aye, love,” he said. “I’ve got ye.”

“As do I,” Norrington said. He turned to Alice, Elizabeth, and Will and added, “Barbossa and I can protect Lydia. You three do what needs to be done.” Alice nodded and immediately rushed down the steps onto the main deck. As much as she wanted to be with her sister, she knew her place right now was with her crew, giving orders as well as she could and making sure her men stayed alive. Alice drew her sword and took a deep, deep breath. She looked over at Gibbs and nodded slowly. He nodded back and took a drink of his rum. As the storm grew heavier and they grew closer, one thing was extremely, extremely evident.

The battle had finally begun.

And they were going to win this fucking war.


	76. At World's End: Chapter 25

It was strange for Lydia, to feel her own soul and Thetis’s soul so prominently; for their minds to be so separate yet interconnected. Everything Thetis was feeling, Lydia could feel and vice versa. Their energy was so mingled that it was hard to tell where Lydia ended and where Thetis began. Yet they were perfectly in sync when they propelled the ship forward. “Have you noticed on top of everything, it’s raining?” she heard Pintel shout above the storm.

“That’s a bad sign,” Ragetti agreed.

“Calm down, cyclops,” Thetis shouted. “It’s all under control. Lydia? I think we can start up on that other command Mother gave us.”

“I agree,” Lydia responded. It was strange to basically be having a conversation with herself. It definitely must have been strange to the crew, especially her sisters and Hector. But they knew their orders perfectly well; Calypso was extremely clear. They dropped their arms stopped propelling the ship forwards. That had been the easier of their two pieces of instruction. Now came the hard part. “Thetis, have you actually done anything to this magnitude?”

“Nope,” Thetis responded. “You’d think I would have given how many millennia I’ve been around, but I’ve never even attempted anything like this.” This immediately caused Hector to spin around and look at her… them?

“What do ye be planning?” he asked them.

“Something insane,” Thetis replied with a smirk. Lydia let out a sigh and felt both of them shake out her arms. “Ready, Lydia?”

“Ready,” Lydia responded. They took a deep, deep breath together and immediately grasped onto as much ocean as they could. Slowly they began to swirl their arms around in a huge, wide circle, in sync with the clouds beginning to swirl above them. Lydia had never felt such power coursing through her veins; it was also Calypso’s influence, of course, and she doubted she’d ever have this much power in again once this battle was over. Just as Thetis knew she would never have this much control with Lydia once the battle was over. She felt Calypso’s presence guiding them through their movements. The weight of the water felt almost overwhelming. Every movement felt like she was forcing her way through a giant pit of tar. Thetis was definitely starting to feel the strain as well. Even though their muscles were beginning to burn from the weight of the swirling water, they both knew that they couldn’t afford to stop. They had to push through it.

“Man the capstan... keep that powder dry!” Gibbs shouted to the crew. They scrambled to push the spokes into the capstan and spin the wheels. Lydia felt a sudden, sharp spike of pain shoot through her entire body. Both she and Thetis screamed out at the shock of it, but neither one dared to stop spinning the water.

“You alright, Lyddie?” Hector shouted to them.

“I’m fine,” she shouted back.

“So am I,” Thetis shouted. “Just in case you’re wondering.” She saw Hector roll his eyes and rush up to Norrington briefly. She couldn’t hear what the two were discussing over the crashes of thunder and lightning in the storm above them.

“Maelstrom!” Gibbs shouted. Lydia watched as the crew ran closer to the edge to see the giant whirlpool that Lydia, Thetis, and Calypso were all creating. Hector spun around to face Lydia with widened eyes. Good… he was finally beginning to figure out what they were doing.

“Now you’ve got it,” Thetis said with a smirk. Elizabeth turned to Hector and ran towards him.

“Captain Barbossa,” she said. “We need you at the helm!”

“Aye,” Hector said. “That be true. Lydia, Thetis, keep doing what you’re doing.”

“That _was_ the idea,” Thetis replied. “I trust you know what do?”

“Aye,” Hector said. He ran up to Cotton, tossed the man to the side, and grabbed the spokes of the wheel. “Raise up yards, ye cockeyed deck apes! Dyin’ is a day worth livin’ for!” Lydia gritted her teeth as she kept spinning the maelstrom around and around. On the other end of the ship, she could hear Alice shouting out orders to the crew.

“Hold your positions!” she screamed. “Keep everything secured to this ship and for the love of God, do _not_ do anything stupid! Watch for the water!” The moment she felt the _Dutchman_ begin to move into the whirlpool itself, Lydia let out a loud, loud wail. The sheer force of the _Dutchman_ along with the wrath of Davy Jones and the wrath of Calypso… it was almost overwhelming. But she couldn’t afford to be overwhelmed right now. The two of them had to push through.

“Damn it!” Thetis screamed.

“She’s on our stern and gaining!” Will shouted.

“More speed! Haul your wind and hold your water!” Hector shouted. Lydia tensed her jaw as she kept shifting the water. Hector was maintaining control of the ship, yes, but he wasn’t yet doing what they needed him to do. She could feel her own frustration mingling with Thetis’s. She heard the first bouts of cannon fire erupt from the _Dutchman_. Cannonballs flew over the deck and a few hit the ship itself.

“Hector,” Lydia shouted. “We’re not going to get the speed we need on the outside.” Hector turned to her and narrowed his eyes.

“Are ye certain?” he asked.

“Yes,” Lydia said. “We have enough control. You must do what needs to be done!”

“Trust us!” Thetis added. “We’re not about to let the _Pearl_ go down!”

“Take us out or they’ll overbear us!” Will shouted.

“Nay, further in!” Hector shouted. “We’ll cut across to faster waters!” Hector began to turn the wheel rapidly.

“Prepare to broadside!” Elizabeth shouted over the chaos. The ship tipped over into the swirling vortex of water. Lydia moved her control towards keeping the _Black Pearl_ upright whilst Thetis maintained the maelstrom. God her head felt like it was being split open with an axe… No wonder the two souls could never share dominance; it hurt like all hell and drained her so fast.

“Captain the guns!” Alice screamed at the man. “Get yourselves together you no-good bastard sons of whores! We can’t afford to freeze in fear!”

“At the ready!” Will shouted. Lydia felt Norrington rush next to her, holding his pistol by his side. That must have been what he and Hector were discussing earlier; their plan for protecting her.

“Batten down the hatches! Stick to your guns! Fit your cannoneers!” Alice screamed at the men. “Gibbs, we need you below!” They were all running around the deck, preparing their guns, preparing their cannons, tying down any and everything that needed to be tied down. Lydia could hear the faint clicks of gun ports opening below the deck. “Hold there!” Alice shouted to the men at the cannons on the deck. “Wait till we’re more to port!” Lydia watched as they began to line up directly across from the _Dutchman._ It was soon; they had to begin their broadside soon.

“FIRE!” Hector finally shouted.

“FIRE!” Elizabeth echoed.

“FIRE!” Alice screamed. “FIRE ALL!” The cannons around her boomed as they shot out the cannonballs across the abyss and at the _Flying Dutchman_. It was nothing short of sheer chaos. Cannonballs were flying away from them and towards them. She could fear the fear within Thetis; after all, cannons were still a fairly new concept to her. Lydia did what she could to keep the _Pearl_ steady throughout this entire firefight. She couldn’t help but scream at the burning pain going through her arms and chest. Her muscles screamed at her to stop but she could not. On the deck below her, she could see splinters of wood flying up, flashes from the cannon, and even one of their own cannons fly free and spin its way across the _Pearl._

“It be too late to alter course now, mateys,” Hector shouted. He let out his iconic laugh as he spun the wheel of the ship once more. Lydia couldn’t help but let out a smile at her lover’s laugh. Apparently Thetis couldn’t resist it either.

“I knew there was a reason I liked you,” Thetis said. Hector let out a scoff and continued to maintain the helm.

“Barbossa! They’re preparing to swing over and board!” Alice shouted over the fray. Lydia looked up and watched as she stood on the rail with a rope of her own in hand. It was incredibly obvious that she was ready to lead the boarding party any moment now.

“Aye, shrimp,” Hector shouted back. “I can see that!”

“Tell me when!” Alice shouted back. Nothing but the sound of the storm and the cannon fire could be heard for many moments. Finally, Lydia heard the faint roar of Jones’ men.

“Now!” Hector shouted. She heard the _Pearl_ ’s men and Alice all let out their own war cries as they jumped off the _Pearl_ and began to swing towards the _Dutchman_. She heard the distinct clash of swords as the two sides met in the air between the ships. She heard (and felt) a few of their own men fall into the maelstrom below. Suddenly there were both East India Trading Company men and members of Davy Jones’ crew on the ship. Norrington fired his pistol at one of the men immediately, as did Will. One of them landed near her, a man covered in spikes like a sea-urchin. He charged at Hector with his sword drawn. Hector drew his own sword and slid out of the way of the monster, spinning the wheel so that it would stun the man. He then punched it square in the jaw. Lydia knew she had to do something than just stand there. She needed to fight. She needed to protect her brother-in-law and the love of her life.

“I can keep the ship steady,” Thetis said. “Do what you need to do Lydia.” Lydia nodded and released her control of the seawater below. She didn’t dare move any onto the deck right now. Not only was she a little weak at the moment, but the storm and maelstrom made that sort of plan far too risky. And she definitely couldn’t do what she did on the Isla Cruces and take over one of them; she could experience death at someone else’s well-meaning hand nor did she want to leave her body completely in Thetis’s control. No… she had to fight. Luckily, she was left-handed. She drew her own sword and ran up to Hector’s back, ready to shield him as he would shield her. Her right hand continued to move by Thetis’s accord, keeping their ship upright in this insane swirling vortex of ocean.

“Stay close,” Hector shouted.

“I planned on it,” Lydia shouted back. She looked up and watched as the next wave of their enemies swung towards them. They landed on the ship at last and began to surround them. Lydia immediately began to fight in almost perfect tandem with Hector; she would fight as best she could at Hector’s back, and he would keep enemies off of hers. A few feet away from them, Norrington was fighting men that he once held command over. She could see the hesitation in his eyes as he cut down one man in a East India Trading Company uniform. But he couldn’t afford to have regrets or mercy right now. This was a war and this battle would be to the death. There was no going around that.

“Barbossa!” Elizabeth suddenly shouted. “Marry us!”

“Are you two insane!?” Thetis screamed back. Hector slashed at the sea-urchin man once again, knocking him right into Lydia’s sword.

“I’m a little busy at the moment!” he snapped at them. A jellyfish-like man charged at him and the two clashed swords. Lydia let out a scream as she ducked below the large swipe of sea-urchin’s sword. She brought her sword up into his stomach and watch as Hector stabbed the jellyfish man in the stomach.

“Barbossa, now!” Will shouted.

“Fine then!” Hector shouted. He spun the jellyfish man away from him and kicked him to the rail. Hector began to climb on top of the helm as another East India Trading Company soldier charged at him. Cotton was frantically trying to hold onto the wheel while Norrington was fighting off men trying to take the wheel for themselves. Lydia felt Thetis’s hold on the ship falter for a moment before strengthening once again. Hector slashed the throat of the soldier before kicking him into Lydia’s sword. She pulled her sword out of the bleeding man and watched as Hector stood up on the helm.

“You’re really doing this?” Thetis asked. Hector shot her a glare before clashing swords with another man.

“Dearly beloved, we be gathered here today,” he started. Lydia couldn’t believe this was actually happening. Her sister and Will were getting married in the middle of a maelstrom battle by her lover while fighting off half-fish pirates and her husband’s soldiers, all while she was sharing control of her own body with the immortal soul of a daughter of Calypso.

There would never be any stranger time than this.

Suddenly the sea-urchin man charged at Hector. His focus shifted to the sea-urchin man and he shouted, “To nail yer gizzards to the mast, ye poxy cur!” Ah yes… that was most certainly Hector’s style. He kicked sea-urchin in the face and swung his sword at the soldier coming at him. Jellyfish was beginning to rise to his feet. Lydia let out a holler as she clashed swords with him. Another soldier was starting to approach Hector from his blindside.

“Behind you!” Lydia shouted. Hector let out an ‘arrgh’ as he bent down and stabbed the man in the chest from between his legs.

“Thank ye, darling,” he shouted as he immediately began to fight sea-urchin again.

“Any time,” Lydia shouted back as she blocked an incoming strike from jellyfish. Suddenly she felt Thetis grab a giant mass of water from the sea, pick up jellyfish with it, and toss him into the vortex below. She felt Hector grab her by the arm and help her up onto the helm with him. She guarded his back, clashing swords with another soldier while Hector fought off the annoying sea-urchin.

“As captain,” Hector yelled, “I now pronounce ye…” Lydia let out a scream as the soldier managed to slice part of her leg. It wasn’t a deep wound, but it definitely stung. He kicked the sea-urchin over and pulled out his gun, firing it into the chest of the soldier who cut her. “Ye may kiss-” he was interrupted when a soldier charged at him. He simply took out his other pistol and fired it into the man’s skull, laughing at the sight. Lydia slashed her sword down into the head of another sea-creature-man as he approached them.

Hector jumped off the helm, kicked the soldier in the face, and again said, “Ye may kiss-” but again he was interrupted. A seaweed man ran towards Hector. He used his gun and his sword to block the incoming blow of the creature’s sword. Lydia felt herself jump on top of it, sticking her sword into its leg. That move had definitely come from Thetis, not her. She let go of the creature-man and watched as Hector shoved him out of the way. A soldier was approaching them and Lydia stabbed past Hector and watched as the sword slid into the man’s chest. “Just kiss!” Hector finally shouted, clearly annoyed at the entire situation. Lydia wished she could have had the time to stand there and watch as her sister finally married the man of her dreams, the one man whom she loved above all others. Unfortunately, there was a battle going on and that didn’t leave her any opportunity to enjoy the moment.

“The two of you had better not get married in the middle of a battle,” Thetis snapped. “Or I swear by the Gods I will take over and stop you two from being complete idiots.” Hector let out a growl at this. Lydia would have hidden into herself if she could, but that wasn’t an option at the moment. An eel-man stalked up to her menacingly, his head barely peaking out of his body. “Barbossa! At little help here? Lydia can’t handle this one alone.”

“She’s right,” Lydia added as she backed away from the hideous being. Hector immediately spun around and widened his eyes that the sight. He took all of two seconds to dash around her, lock the eel’s head between his two blades, and slice its head clean off. He stepped around it, stabbed its body, and shoved it off the side of the _Pearl_. She felt Thetis let out a loud, loud scream. Lydia almost screamed with her. There was no one steering the ship right now; the only ones keeping it upright were her and Thetis. The immense weight strained her muscles and her mind. But they couldn’t keep the ship completely up. Soon, the mast of the _Pearl_ and the mast of the _Dutchman_ fell together and locked in place. The two ships were completely tied together now. That certainly complicated things now. How were they supposed to get the _Pearl_ out of the maelstrom now?

“I’m going to the _Dutchman_ with Turner!” Norrington suddenly shouted to them. “Alice has lost a lot of men.”

“Aye,” Hector shouted. “Keep the shrimp alive, will ye?”

“I planned on it,” Norrington said. He turned on his heel and dashed towards one of the ropes. Both he and Will began to swing over towards the _Dutchman._ Lydia turned back to Hector, who was now standing next to her with his sword in hand. He nodded at her (and Thetis, she supposed) and then she turned her mind back towards keeping the ships afloat. She could only pray at this point that Alice and Jack could figure out a way to get rid of Jones once and for all. If they didn’t, then every single pirate here and in Shipwreck Cove would die.


	77. At World's End: Chapter 26

Alice gripped her sword as tightly as she could manage. The rain was pouring down hard and fast, soaking her hair and her clothes. Her blonde hair was plastered to the side of her face, some strands hanging just on her eyelashes from all the wind. She ducked down to avoid the cannonballs soar through the air at them from the _Flying Dutchman_. She wanted that ship to sink to the depths were it belonged, but she knew that she couldn’t allow that to happen until Jack was safely back on the _Black Pearl._

Suddenly, she saw Jack on the deck of the _Dutchman._ And it looked like he was holding something… was that the chest? Did he have the heart of Davy Jones in his possession? Maybe his plans were finally starting to go right. She watched as he grabbed one of the rigs and flew up from the deck onto the top of the main mast. It wasn’t long before she saw Jones somehow phase up there effortlessly. Alice gritted her teeth and tensed her jaw. He just needed to stay alive for a few minutes longer. Just a little bit loner.

The ship continued to sail through the swirling vortex created by Calypso, Lydia, and Thetis. They were finally getting close enough to the _Dutchman_ for people to be able to swing over and board the ship. Alice intended to be the one to lead that charge. She grabbed one of the ropes, along with about a dozen other men. “On my mark!” she shouted. She looked at the barnacle-encrusted ship across from them and watched as Jones’ own men began to do the exact same. They were getting ready to board the _Pearl_ soon.

“Barbossa! They’re preparing to swing over and board!” Alice shouted over the fray.

“Aye, shrimp,” Barbossa shouted back. “I can see that!”

“Tell me when!” Alice shouted back. He was silent for a moment. Alice could feel the rush of adrenaline course through her. She could feel the blood pump through her veins as she waited for Barbossa’s signal. _Come on… come on…_ she found herself thinking over and over. Finally, she heard Jones men began to shout and watched as they started swing over.

“Now!” Barbossa shouted. Alice drew her sword and let out a loud scream as she jumped off of the _Black Pearl_ and began to swing towards the _Flying Dutchman_. Her sword clashed with a being that could only be described as part pufferfish and part man. She, unfortunately, wasn’t able to knock him off his rope. But at least she managed to stay on hers and land on _Dutchman_ without too much trouble. Now for the hard part… surviving. Fishmen immediately charged at her and she drew her other sword. She could potentially use one of her two pistols, but she wanted to save them for if she lost one of her swords. She immediately swung her swords to block their attacks. The blades all clashed, leaving an almost deafening ring. She glared at the sea creatures and swung her swords away from her, taking their swords with her. She slid between the two of them and stabbed them in their backs. They fell to the ground and let out howls of pain, but she knew they weren’t dead. How could they be?

She took the moment to look up at Jack, who was still fighting Jones. Suddenly she heard Jones let out a loud howl and watched as what looked like one of Jones’ face tentacles came flying down in front of her, the key still attached to its suckers. Alice quickly dove down to grab it, suckers and all. Did she entirely approve of Jack stabbing the heart? No, not at all. But it that’s what he truly wanted then she had no choice but to help him stay alive long enough to do it. Not to mention she definitely didn’t Jones in possession of that key. She heard another clash, looked up, and watched as Jones’ sword came flying down at her. Alice screamed and rolled out of the way. A moment later, a large section of Jack’s sword landed next to her. She widened her eyes and looked up at him. “Shit…” she muttered to herself. She heard yells and watched as two men charge at her with guns. She raised her sword to attack, but then paused when she recognized the two men.

“Murtogg? Mullroy?” Alice asked. They stopped screaming, paused, and then looked at each other.

“Alice Swann?” they asked.

“Aye,” she said. “What’re you two going here?”

“Well, we was protecting the chest,” Mullroy said. “But seeing that Sparrow has it, we don’t really have a clear job.”

“So we figured that fighting was the next best bet,” Murtogg added.

“You two could hide below on the _Pearl_ ,” Alice said. “I actually somewhat like you two. I’d hate to have to kill you.”

“We’d hate to have to be killed,” Mullroy said.

“I like living,” Murtogg said. “Living means we ain’t dead.”

“Then live,” Alice said. “Norrington’s on the _Pearl._ Tell him you surrender.” The two daft soldiers looked at each other, nodded, and then ran over to some rigging so that they could swing over to the _Black Pearl._ Well that was certainly unexpected. Suddenly Alice felt a lurch and watched as the _Pearl_ and the _Dutchman_ locked masts. Shit… that certainly complicated things. As she was looking up, she watched as Jack started to fall. “JACK!” she screamed. Yet he didn’t fall to his death. Instead he was dangling from the chest that Jones was holding onto. Alice could only watch in horror as Jones lifted the chest, and Jack with it. Suddenly Jones threw the chest above him, sending Jack flying though the air. Alice felt her heart stop for a moment. Oh my god. This was it. This was the moment she’d have to watch Jack die a second time.

Yet Jack’s unusual luck seemed to win again.

He ended up getting caught by one of Jones’ own men who was flying through the air on some rigging. Alice let out a sigh of relief, but then had to immediately spin around when she heard a man approaching her. She blocked the weird snail-headed man’s blade with one of her own, and then struck him in the stomach with her remaining blade. She heard a shot from above, followed by Jones’ scream. Alice looked up and watched as the chest fell down to the deck. Of course, it did hit snail-man on the head first, shoving his head straight into his body. Alice let out a grimace before running towards the chest. The snail man stumbled backwards and fell over the side of the ship, into the watery vortex below. Will swung over him and landed confidently on the deck. With him was Norrington, who immediately ran to fight a kelp-like man.

“Where’s Jack?” Will asked her.

“Swinging around,” Alice said back. She sheathed one of her swords, picked up the chest, and motioned for him to move with a swift nod of the head. They ran across the deck, dodging the cannon fire coming at them from the _Pearl_. The two were doing fairly well in retrieving the chest when suddenly they ran into a unwanted, familiar sight. It was the man with the head of a hammerhead shark. “Shit,” Alice said.

“Turner!” he shouted.

“Friend of yours?” Alice asked.

“Nope,” Will responded.

“Lovely,” Alice replied, gripping the chest even tighter. The three of them immediately clashed swords... well, two swords and hammerhead’s axe. However, there wasn’t a long fight between her and Will and hammerhead-shark-man. The next moment Jack the Monkey, who was on fire, flew into the hammerhead’s face, clawing and screeching frantically.

“Thank you, Jack,” Will said to the monkey, who was still flailing around on hammerhead’s face. He and Alice ran as fast as she could. Suddenly, Will was knocked down by a man-creature Alice had never seen before. Most of his face was covered with thick barnacles. Alice ducked under the man’s sword and ran away from Will and barnacle-face. “It’s me!” she heard Will shouted. “It’s Will! Your son!” Alice paused and looked behind her. _That_ was Bootstrap Bill Turner? Small world…

Her thoughts, however, were interrupted when she heard the thump of a large, foreboding figure land in front of her. She felt her heartbeat stop for a second as she looked up at none other than Davy Jones himself. She felt her eyes grow wide and her blood grow cold. “Ye have something of mine, little Swann,” he said in his distinct Scottish accent.

“Possibly,” Alice replied. She gripped her sword and the handle of the chest even tighter, backing away slowly from the captain of the _Dutchman._ Above her she could hear Jack screaming as he swung around in circles. She wasn’t going to get help from him… Will was busy trying not to die at the hands of his father… Norrington was preoccupied with three different forms of sea-creature-men… It looked like she had to get out of this on her own. She felt her back hit a rail and gulped. Jones, in all his tentacle-y horror, reached for the chest. Alice let out a shout as she hit him in the face with the back of her sword and dashed around him. A moment later, Jack landed on the deck right next to her. He drew his sword, only to immediately frown once he looked at it and remembered that Jones cut off a good chunk of the steel.

“Hello, dear,” he said.

“Perfect timing,” Alice responded, still gripping the chest so tightly that she knew her knuckles had gone white. Both of them immediately ran around the capstan, avoiding the wrath of Davy Jones as he charged towards them with the aim of getting the chest out of Alice’s hands. They parried around capstan, almost as if the three of them were taunting each other. Finally, Jones rolled his eyes and began to literally _push_ himself into the capstan. Both Alice and Jack winced, but Jack was the one who was smart enough to spin the capstan with all of his strength. Alice backed up as far as she could, clutching the chest close to her body. Jack stayed there and watched as Jones spun around in circles. Finally the capstan slowed to a halt, leaving Jones directly in front of Jack. Jones let out a horrifying yell at Jack, his tentacles flailing and shuttering sickeningly. Jack screamed and immediately turned to run in Alice’s direction.

Alice wanted to high-tail it the hell out of there, but clearly Jones had other ideas. He went to strike at her from above. She let out a yelp as she ducked out of the way and blocked his attack with her own sword. There was no way she’d be able to fight Jones while she was holding onto the chest… or was there? After all, it _was_ a fairly sizable chest… Alice let out a grunt as she swung the chest upwards with all of her might right into Jones’ face. She used this as her opportunity to get as far from Jones as she possibly could. Jack managed to grab one of the spokes of the capstan and swing it at the back of Jones head. Jones turned his attention to Jack and the two began to duel; one with a sword, the other with the spoke of a wheel. Alice swung at Jones when she could, just trying to buy time until she and Jack could figure out a way out of this mess. Suddenly, Jones grabbed Jack’s spoke and thrust it out of his hands. He backhanded Jack with his massive claw, sending him flying across the deck.  

Jones turned his attention back to Alice, who was still holding onto the chest. She gasped and backed up against the rail, her sword raised to defend herself. The very next moment, Elizabeth landed on the deck. Jones looked between the two and then glared at Elizabeth. “Alright then!” he shouted. “You’ll see no mercy from me! Neither one of you!”

“That’s why I brought this,” Elizabeth shouted back, drawing her sword. She swung her sword at Jones. Alice ran towards him and let out a yell as she made a strike at him too. Jones was a damned good swordsman; better than her and Barbossa and Jack combined. Despite her current disagreements with Elizabeth, Alice couldn’t handle the thought of her dying at Jones’ hand. She had to help her sister survive this fight. She fought with one hand holding her sword and the other keeping the chest out of Jones’ reach. The two sisters fought furiously against him; each slash and stab started to blend together. Everything was going hazy in Alice’s head. She couldn’t tell whether it was from adrenaline or exhaustion.

Suddenly, Jones managed to grab her left forearm with his massive, powerful claw. Alice dropped the chest and let out a howl as she felt the sharp edges of his claw begin to dig into her flesh. She could already see the blood seeping out of her around the punctures. Jones bent down to grab the chest, but Alice kicked it away from him before he could reach it. She tried to strike him from where she stood, trying to block out the increasingly sharp, hot pain that was consuming her entire arm. He dodged her swipe and used his sword to knock her own sword out of her hand.

“The fiery little girl, now reduced to a helpless little rat,” Jones hissed at her. His grip on her arm tightened and she let out a loud scream. The pain was like nothing she had ever felt in her life. So much pressure on her arm, so much stinging, fiery pain coursing through her… Did she just hear something snap? She wasn’t sure. Her head and ears felt like they were ringing.  She couldn’t see anything around her… The only things that existed right now were the pain in her arm and the monster causing it. He flung her to the side and she hit the main mast with a hard thud. Jones went for the chest, but was cut off by Elizabeth.

There was a hell of a lot of blood coming out of her arm right now. Was that why her head felt light? Her arm was on fire, but it also felt as if it were being stabbed by a million pins and needles. She looked down at her arm and tried to move her finger… but she couldn’t. She took a deep breath and forced herself to crawl towards the chest. She had to get it back no matter what. She barely saw it when he threw Elizabeth against the stairs and knocked her out. She barely saw it when Will stabbed Jones straight through the chest, despite knowing that it would do nothing.

“Mister,” Jones sneered. “Did you forget I’m a heartless wretch?” He used that powerful claw to bend the metal of his sword up, locking it into his own chest cavity. Alice grabbed the chest, only to immediately come face to face with Jack. In his hand he had one of Jones’ tentacles and the key to the chest. Jack widened his eyes at the sight of her very much mangled arm. Alice felt her vision go hazy from the excruciating pain. She shoved the chest to Jack and then immediately fell onto her back. She looked down at her arm again. Was that bone she was seeing sticking out of her skin and through her coat? She wasn’t entirely sure. Norrington was next to her a moment later, helping her sit up and saying words that Alice wasn’t quite picking up.

Jones kicked Will to the side. Alice watched as Elizabeth slowly began to wake up. She and Will locked gazes; it didn’t take Jones long to put two and two together. “Ah, love,” Jones said. “A dreadful bond. And yet so easily severed.” Jones stalked closer to Will, holding his sword to his neck. “Tell me, William Turner, do you fear death?”

“Do you?”

All eyes immediately turned to Jack. Alice smiled up at him and started to laugh as she saw him holding the still-beating heart of Davy Jones with the remains of his sword aimed directly at it. “Heady tonic, holding life and death in the palm of one’s hand,” Jack said.

“You’re a cruel man, Jack Sparrow,” Jones sneered. But the fear was definitely in Jones’ eyes. Alice could tell that he was very much aware of the fact that he could lose his life at any moment and lose his ship to Jack. All it would take was one single stab of a heart.

“Cruel is a matter of perspective,” Jack said.

“Is it?” Jones asked. Jones let out a smirk and then spun around, sinking his blade into Will’s chest. Everyone went still as Jones twisted the blade in Will’s chest for extra measure. Elizabeth screamed and ran over to her lover. Even Jack looked like he had no idea what he was going to do now. Alice couldn’t do anything; she was unarmed, she couldn’t move her left forearm, and she was entirely sure that she was losing a lot of blood and would pass out soon. Jones stood there and laughed at Will’s misery.

“Will! Will! Look at me! Stay with me! You’re all right!” she pleaded, holding him in her arms.

“William…” Bootstrap murmured. “My son…” He let out a yell as he ran towards Jones and attempted to tackle him to the ground. Bootstrap punched and kicked and grunted as he went for a mad rampage on Davy Jones for what he did to his son. Jack stood there frozen as Jones was getting assaulted by Bootstrap, Will laid dying in Elizabeth’s arms, and Alice sat there with Norrington of all people holding him as her own blood flowed out of her crushed arm.

“Will! Will! Look at me! Look at me!” Elizabeth begged as Will’s eyes began to roll into the back of his head. Will was going to die. Nothing could stop that now. No one could survive a wound like that. Jack suddenly ran across the deck and knelt down next to Will. He wrapped Will’s hand around his sword and then brought it down straight into Jones’ heart.

Jack had Will stab the heart.

Will was going to become the next Captain of the _Flying Dutchman_.

Will was going to live… somewhat.

Alice felt her breath catch in her throat as she watched Jones freeze. He let out a raspy gargle as his tentacles flailed around. “Calypso,” he whispered. Then his body went limp and he fell over the side of the ship, back into Calypso’s embrace. It was over; Davy Jones was no more. Bootstrap walked over to the knife that had previously been keeping him locked against the ship. He picked it up and began to walk towards Will. Alice watched as Will’s eyes closed and he let out his final breath.

“No,” Elizabeth breathed out. “No… No! NO!” Alice watched as the crew of the _Dutchman_ began to emerge from the ship itself, coming closer and closer to Will.

“Part of the ship, part of the crew,” they chanted. The repeated this over and over and over.

“Don’t leave me!” Elizabeth wailed. Alice felt Norrington lift her up and carry her to the rail. Jack was dragging the sobbing, hysterical Elizabeth away from Will. Jack grabbed a gun and held Elizabeth close to him. Norrington grabbed on, keeping Alice secure against him.

“Hold on!” Jack shouted. He fired the gun and the next thing she knew, the updraft was carrying them into the air on the sail that Jack had managed to detach from the rest of the ship. Alice didn’t remember anything beyond that. After they ascended, she felt her vision pull her into the dark void of unconsciousness.


	78. At World's End: Chapter 27

Lydia and Thetis both felt the moment Jones was killed. The sea itself reacted to it so strongly that it knocked the wind out of her. She stumbled backwards, let go of her control if the water for a moment. “She’s taking us down!” Barbossa shouted. “Make quick, or it’s the locker for us all!” Lydia watched as Ragetti loaded a chain-shot into the cannons. Gibbs fired it up at the intertwined masts. The wood splintered apart and the two ships were unlinked. “Lyddie, we need ye!”

“Right,” Lydia breathed out. “Sorry.” She felt Thetis’s energy meld with her own as the two them worked on carrying the _Pearl_ out of the heart of the whirlpool. As she moved the water, she began to feel Calypso’s influence fade away. The _Dutchman_ was fallen, Jones was dead. Calypso had met her end of the bargain with Barbossa. Her job here this day was over. The maelstrom began to close up and the storm began to subside.

 _It is alright, my child,_ she heard her voice say. _You may rest now._ Lydia and Thetis both let go of the water and immediately collapsed onto the deck. Her chest was heavy and her head was so light it was dizzying. Lydia looked up and watched as a drifting sail that appeared to be carrying people floated next to the ship. She squinted at the sight. It was Thetis who let out a snort and shook her head.

“I’ll be damned,” Thetis said. “It’s them!” Lydia let out a sigh of relief as she recognized the forms of Alice, Elizabeth, Jack, and Norrington. She even saw little Jack the Monkey hanging on. Her sisters were alright; thank God. Lydia felt Hector come up next to her and place a hand on her shoulder.

“Ye alright, Lyddie?” he asked. Lydia nodded and smiled at him.

“Lydia, my job here is done,” Thetis said softly. She sounded weak, as if she were already fading back into Lydia’s subconscious. “Barbossa, if you even think about hurting her, I’ll personally tear your cock off and feed it to a horde of sharks.”

“I’d let ye,” Hector replied with a smirk. Thetis let out a faint chuckle at that. “Thank ye for what ye’ve done today. This doesn’t mean I trust ye more than before.”

“I wouldn’t expect that out of you,” Thetis replied. “Do me a favor and catch her again.” Lydia felt both herself and Thetis get pulled into the back of her head. For a moment, everything was black. Then suddenly the sun was back and she was lying in Hector’s arms. She moved both of her arms and let out a faint smile. She was back in complete control of her own body.

“Lydia?” Hector asked.

“Yes,” Lydia replied, shifting herself so that she was sitting up. Every part of her felt as if it were being weighed down by a ton of bricks. “I’m all me again.” He let out what sounded like a bad attempt at hiding a breath of relief and then kissed her forehead.

“We need help over here!” Gibbs suddenly shouted. Hector helped Lydia to her feet and she strained to see what was happening. Elizabeth and Jack had already made it back onto the deck. Norrington’s face was appearing, but he looked white with fear. Lydia stumbled her way down the steps and gasped when she finally saw what the commotion was about. Gibbs, Jack, and Norrington were all trying to move Alice onto the ship. She was pale and unconscious. Lydia felt sick to her stomach when she saw her youngest sister’s left arm; there was so much blood and it looked so mangled…

“What happened?” Lydia asked as she rushed to her sister.

“Jones,” Jack said. “He crushed her arm with his claw.” She tensed her jaw and brushed a strand of wet hair out of Alice’s white face.

“The armada’s still out there,” Gibbs said, still looking down at Alice. Even he looked deathly afraid for her right now. “The _Endeavour’s_ coming up hard to starboard, and I think it’s time we embraced that oldest and noblest of pirate traditions...”

“Never actually been one for tradition,” Jack snapped. He walked over to the edge of the ship, looking out at Beckett’s armada. Lydia felt a cold chill rush through her. She was exhausted and they’d lost a lot of men in the fight with Jones. They were still heavily outnumbered, perhaps even more so now. Their chances looked very bleak. Not to mention that Alice could very well die if she didn’t get a surgeon looking at her soon. “Close haul her. Luff the sails and lay on iron!”

“Are you insane!?” Norrington shouted.

“Belay that!” Hector ordered. “Or we’ll be a sitting duck!”

“Belay that ‘belay that!’” Jack shouted.

“Captain…” Gibbs said.

“Belay!” Jack shouted.

“The armada!” Lydia hissed, pointed to the very large horde of ships that wanted to kill them all.

“Belay!”

“The _Endeavour-_ ” Norrington tried to say.

“Belay!”

“But we…” Gibbs started again.

“Shut it!” Jack finally snapped. “Shut it!” He turned to Alice’s limp form and picked it up. “Someone get the door!” Hector nodded and ran to the Captain’s cabin, opening up the door for him. Lydia rushed into the cabin behind him, closely followed by Elizabeth and Norrington. Jack laid Alice down and pressed a kiss to her temple before rushing out once more. Lydia completely understood; Jack still had a job to do. Lydia looked up at Hector, who looked at Alice with a very, very clenched jaw.

“Hector, do you think she’ll make it?” Lydia asked.

“Aye,” he said. “Alice is damn near impossible to kill. I can’t say for certain about her arm, though.” Lydia looked down at the mangled, hardly recognizable limb. She nodded and took a deep breath.

“I can’t lose her too,” Elizabeth whispered. She looked as if she were holding back a storm of tears. “I already lost Will. I can’t lose my little sister too.” Lydia didn’t even realize that Will hadn’t returned with them until this very moment. Her mind had been so preoccupied with Alice. She pulled her sister into a tight hug. To marry the man you loved only to lose him less than an hour later… Lydia could hardly imagine that.

“I’ll stay with her,” Norrington said. “We need the three of you out there if we want to have any chance of winning this fight.”

“Aye,” Hector said. “Yer right.” With that, he spun on his heel and dashed out of the room. Lydia nodded and looked over at Elizabeth. The two sisters left the cabin, ready to help enact whatever crazy plan Jack had going on. Lydia made her way next to Hector, who was watching from port side as the _Endeavour_ began to come at them. Jack the Monkey let out a squeal and then climbed onto his shoulder. She gulped and abruptly took his hand in her own. His facial expression didn’t change from the hard, harsh glare, but he gripped her hand just as tightly back.

“I love you,” Lydia said. “I wanted to say it just in case I don’t get the chance to say it again.”

“Aye, lass,” he replied. “I love ye as well.” Tensions were high on the ship as they watched the _Endeavour_ grow closer and closer to them. She could already see the three rows of cannons on either side of the ship; cannons that could easily blow the _Black Pearl_ into indistinguishable pieces. Suddenly, Lydia felt something in the water shift. It was familiar yet… not? Something was coming through from below at a rapid rate. She was about to warn Jack and Hector, but the unidentified object burst through the surface before she could even think the words.

It was the _Flying Dutchman_.

But it looked different. It _felt_ different. The ship itself looked more intact, as if it had never been a sunken ship in its life. The wood wasn’t decayed and the barnacles that once encrusted it were gone. The sails were no longer large carpets of seaweed but instead actual tattered white sails.

The ship wasn’t undead anymore; it was alive.

“Mother of God…” Lydia breathed out.

“Ready on the guns!” she heard a familiar voice shout. Lydia knew that voice… it was Will! Lydia let out a smile and looked over at Elizabeth, who was now absolutely beaming.

“He stabbed the heart, didn’t he?” Lydia asked. That was the only reason she could think of for him to be in charge of the _Flying Dutchman_ now. He had stabbed the heart of Davy Jones as he was dying. It saved his life and gave him the means to free is father all at the same time.

“Yes,” Elizabeth replied. “He’s alive! He did it!”

“Full canvas!” Jack shouted as he ran to the helm.

“Aye!” Hector roared as he let go of her hand to follow Jack. “Full canvas!” Lydia followed him and rushed up the stairs to the helm.

“Tell me what you need me to do and I’ll do it,” Lydia said. “I’m not completely exhausted yet.” Hector nodded as he took the wheel and began to turn it in tandem with Will to prepare their broadside against Beckett.

“Just enjoy watching yer husband die,” Hector replied with a smirk. Lydia let out a faint smile and nodded. That was easily doable. They sailed closer and close to Beckett. The _Pearl_ was on one side and the _Dutchman_ on the other. It didn’t take long for them to get into firing range.

“Cap’n?” Gibbs asked. Jack turned to Gibbs and gave a single nod.

“Fire,” he said.

“FIRE!!” Gibbs shouted to the crew.

“FIRE!” Hector yellowed.

“Fire!” Elizabeth ordered. “Fire all!”

Lydia walked down onto the deck watching as the cannons flashed on both the _Pearl_ and the _Dutchman._ She watched as the finely painted wood of the _Endeavour_ began to splinter off of the ship and into the sea as cannonball after cannonball hit it. She could see Beckett standing on the helm, staring blankly around him as his ship was destroyed. Her face was cold and stony as she watched him turn towards the _Pearl_ and lock eyes with her. Lydia lifted her left hand, not even watching the large pillars of water she was wrapping around the _Endeavour_. She kept her eyes firmly locked onto the Beckett. She almost felt insane for wanting to watch the moment his life left his eyes.

“Abandon ship!” she heard one of his men shout. Not that the action would do them any good. Lydia didn’t intend on letting a single one of Beckett’s men survive this day. Beckett turned away from Lydia and began to make his way down the steps of the helm onto the main deck. It was as if he had already accepted his inevitable death. Somehow, amidst the flying wood and cannonball, amidst the loose cannons flipping across the _Endeavour’s_ deck and the dead bodies flying across the deck, and amidst the slowly sinking ship, Beckett remained untouched by the carnage around him.

Fires were blazing, masts were falling, men were dying, and all the while Beckett had yet to be harmed. Lydia was going to change that quickly, though. She wanted him to suffer as he died. He wasn’t going to get out easy. Finally, Lydia clenched her left hand into a fist. She watched as her web of water surrounding the _Endeavour_ closed in on the ship, breaking it apart and pulling it down into the sea. Finally, both the _Pearl_ and the _Dutchman_ passed the _Endeavour_. Lydia turned around and watched as the ship finally exploded into a giant, fiery blaze. Anyone still on there was now dead. Even the men who had tried to escape were now dead thanks to her. She’d never taken lives before… she wasn’t even sure she’d kill again. But at least she was able to kill the man who’d made her life and her family’s lives a living hell. She’d gotten her revenge on him.

So why did she feel so numb to it? Why did she feel nothing as she watched the _Endeavour_ burn away and fall into the depths of the ocean? Why was there so sense of relief or joy as she watched Beckett’s armada already begin to flee from Shipwreck Cove?

“They’re turning away!” Marty shouted. The rest of the pirates began to shout and cheer to celebrate their victory over Beckett and the East India Trading Company. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned around. Hector was standing there, Jack the Monkey still sitting on his shoulder.

“Ye alright, love?” Hector asked her.

“It doesn’t feel like I thought it would,” Lydia replied softly, turning back to watch the remains of the _Endeavour_ float away. “I thought somehow that I’d feel free once he was dead. Like every memory of him would just disappear with him. But it… the only thing I’m feeling a small bit of relief.” But those memories still lingered, even though she knew that she’d never have to face him again. She’d never be at risk of him stealing her away from the man she loved and locking her in a manor for the rest of her days. She couldn’t feel joy in that knowledge, not yet, at least. She could only feel a faint bit of comfort.

“Vengeance never does feel like ye think it will,” Hector replied. He stepped behind her and wrapped his arms around her, pressing a kiss to the back of her head. The air suddenly filled with a chorus of cheering pirates. Victory cries echoed across the seas. Even men miles and miles away could probably hear the triumphant pirates. Lydia suddenly let out a smile. They’d done it; they’d successfully saved the seas from the clutches of the East India Trading Company. They’d successfully saved pirate-kind from extermination. Guns were being fired into the skies, hats were being thrown into the air, and several men were even doing ridiculous looking jigs on the deck.

“To Shipwreck City!” Jack suddenly shouted. Lydia turned around and widened her eyes when she suddenly remembered Alice and her state. Hector seemed to have the same realization as he let her go and ran to the Captain’s cabin as fast as he possibly could. They absolutely needed to get back to Shipwreck City if there was any chance of Alice surviving this war.

* * *

Jack was overjoyed at the fact that they’d finally sent Cutler Beckett into the depths of the sea where he belonged. But he couldn’t celebrate now; not when Alice was still very much at risk of losing her life. “To Shipwreck City!” Jack shouted. They needed to return as fast as possible. He turned to Gibbs and said, “Make sure they know to have a surgeon at the ready.”

“Aye, Cap’n,” Gibbs said. Jack immediately ran down from the helm and rushed into his cabin. He was greeted with the sights of Norrington holding down Alice’s arm with his coat that was now stained bright red with her blood. He had already appeared to have made a tourniquet just above her elbow with a strip of cloth torn from his own shirt.

“She hasn’t woken up yet,” Norrington said as Jack rushed to Alice’s side. He sat down next to her, taking her right hand into his own. God she looked so pale… “She’ll be glad to know we won.”

“Aye, but she’ll hate that she missed watching Beckett burn,” Jack replied with a ghost of a laugh. He rubbed her hand with his thumb in small circles. Suddenly he heard Alice groan and begin to stir. She let out a whimper as she opened her eyes.

“It hurts,” Alice mumbled.

“I know, love,” Jack whispered to her. “But we won. Beckett’s dead, Jones is dead, Will’s the Captain of the _Flying Dutchman_ , apparently Will and Elizabeth are married…” Alice let out a faint laugh and shook her head.

“Of course they are,” she whispered back. “Be honest with me, Jack. I’m not going to have a left arm by the end of this day, am I?” Jack looked at the limb in question, feeling queasy just looking at the blood on Norrington’s coat. The memory of seeing splinters of her bones sticking through her arm made him want to vomit.

“It’d take a miracle,” he finally said. Alice get out a sharp hiss as another wave of pain shot through her. Jack clenched her right hand and rubbed his thumb against it again. The door to the cabin opened and Barbossa and Lydia all stepped inside.

“Let’s grab some rum, make it a party in here,” Alice joked with a forced smile. Jack let out a small smile and shook his head at his lover. The fact that she could still make her usual jokes while she was in this much pain... Barbossa rolled his eyes at Alice and shook his head.

“I’ll take the helm,” Barbossa said. He gave Lydia a quick peck on the lips before leaving the cabin. Jack supposed that seeing Alice awake was enough for the man.

“Jack, if anything happens to me-” Alice started saying.

“Nothing will,” Jack replied. “Aside from losing your arm, that is.”

“Just take care of Connor,” Alice said. She squeezed his hand and let out a groan as she winced. “I’m going pass out again; I can feel it.”

“Stay awake until we get to Shipwreck. I won’t take long,” Jack said. Alice nodded and closed her eyes. A second later, he felt her go limp. Her chest was still rising and falling with each soft breath she took. She needed to stay alive; she absolutely had to. The thought of having to raise Connor without her… Even just the thought of having to live the rest of his life without her made Jack feel sick to his stomach. He looked up at Lydia, whose expression was completely vacant. “You happen to have any kind of water voodoo that could help?” Lydia simply shook her head, her eyes still staring blankly into nothingness.

“I already asked Thetis,” Lydia said. “We can’t heal injuries at all, much less a crushed arm.” Jack let out a deep, low sigh and looked back at Alice’s unconscious form.

“Moor the ship!” Jack heard Barbossa shout from outside the cabin. The door swung open and the man stumbled in.

“Surgeon’s boarding now,” Barbossa said. “He needs a clear room.” Norrington and Lydia immediately darted out of the room to make room for the surgeon. As the two of them left, another man appeared in the room. He was a small, white haired man with a pair of broken spectacles resting on his nose. In his hand he carried a large leather bag full of what Jack assumed was all of his medical supplies.

“I ain’t leaving, mate,” Jack said instantly.

“I didn’t expect you to,” the man replied. “Jared Humphrey. We can talk more when your wife is safe.” Jack didn’t even care that he mistakenly referred to Alice as his wife. He simply nodded and began to watch as Humphrey began to take various instruments out of his bag, most notably a large stick and a saw. The door shut as Barbossa left, leaving Jack and Humphrey alone with Alice. “Any man with eyes can see that the limb needs to go. Now’s the time to get some rum in here for her.” Jack darted over to his chest and took out a bottle of rum he’d been stashing for after this battle. He thought he’d be drinking with Alice right now to celebrate. He didn’t think he’d be using this rum to help her deal with the excruciating pain of an amputation. Humphrey stuck the stick into Alice’s mouth, locking it firmly between her teeth. “Her being unconscious helps, but she might come to. Keep her steady.”

Humphrey finally brought out the saw and held the edge of it to Alice’s arm. Jack thought he was going to throw up the moment the surgeon sunk his blade into his lover’s left arm. He didn’t remember the blood spewing from her arm as Humphrey sawed through it. He didn’t remember Alice waking up briefly, screaming her head off and almost splintering the stick in her mouth. He didn’t remember the moment after he gave her rum when she finally passed out from the pain again. And he definitely didn’t remember seeing her severed arm fall from her body and watching Humphrey bandage the stump left just below Alice’s elbow.

He didn’t see Humphrey wrap up the left arm that formerly belonged to Alice and leave the room. He didn’t hear the words that Humphrey said to him after the amputation. All he saw was the woman he loved, unconscious from the pain of her injury and the pain of getting her limp sawed off. He sat there, holding her right hand, not daring to leave her for a single moment as he waited to see whether or not she’d wake up once again.


	79. At World's End: Chapter 28

Kitty paced across the docks as she heard the cries of victory echo across the waters back to Shipwreck Cove. Even little Connor, who’d slept almost peacefully in her arms during the entire battle, seemed to realize that the pirates had won this war and woke up, letting out small gurgling cries. She could feel her heart swelling with both pride and fear as she watched the black sails of the _Black Pearl_ draw closer. On one hand, they’d won. Beckett was dead and he’d never be a threat to her family ever again. Little James could grow up happy without the influence of the East India Trading Company looming over him. But on the other hand, she had no idea how the battle went. She had no idea who on their side was alive and who was dead and who was injured. The best she could do right now was pray that her sisters and her husband were alive and unharmed.

“Someone get Humphrey!” She suddenly heard someone shout. “The _Pearl_ ’s signaling for a surgeon!” Kitty widened her eyes and spun around to look at the harbormaster. They needed a surgeon immediately? What had happened? Who was hurt? Another man immediately ran past her as he rushed to get the surgeon. The _Pearl_ slowly drifted closer and closer to the docks of Shipwreck Cove. Kitty didn’t even realize she’d been holding her breath until Connor suddenly cried out. When the _Black Pearl_ finally did dock, it was incredibly evident that someone had gotten very seriously hurt. “Moor the ship!” Barbossa shouted from atop the helm. Kitty furrowed her brow as she moved closer to the ship. A wiry older man brushed past her, holding a large leather bag, and immediately ran up the gangplank which had only been lowered mere seconds ago.

As he disappeared into the Captain’s cabin, James and Lydia exited it. Kitty let out a small sigh of relief. James looked completely unharmed, despite the tatters on his clothes and the blood staining it. She smiled at the sight of her healthy husband and sister. She was even glad that Barbossa was largely unharmed. Elizabeth finally appeared in view, but she was looking at the other ship that was docking next to the _Pearl_. She didn’t recognize it; after all, she hadn’t seen a ship of that style with white sails leave Shipwreck Cove that morning. Who did it belong to? Was it one of the pirates? Or had it set sail that morning and perhaps Kitty just didn’t notice it before?

It was only after she saw Will Turner standing on the deck of that other deck, smiling at a man who looked eerily similar to him, that Kitty made the connection. That was the _Flying Dutchman_! But how could that be? Surely she’d get an explanation later. That seemed to be the recurring trend amongst these pirates, after all; it was either explanations later or no explanations at all. She was brought out of her thoughts when she saw that James, Lydia, and Barbossa were all coming down the gangplank. Kitty couldn’t help the large smile coming across her face as she watched her very healthy and very much alive husband come running towards her.

“You’re alright!” Kitty said with a huge smile on her face. “You’re alive!”

“Yes,” James said. He wrapped one arm around her, careful not to touch Connor while Kitty was holding her. “We all made it out alive.” He face suddenly fell and he turned back to the _Pearl_.

“What is it?” Kitty asked. James looked down and let out a shaky breath.

“Alice is in bad shape,” James told her. Kitty gasped and looked up at the _Black Pearl_. “Jones crushed her arm. It’s… it’s highly unlikely that she’ll keep it.”

“Is that why you hailed a surgeon?” Kitty asked.

“Aye,” Barbossa said as he approached them. “She’ll live but… losing a limb takes a toll on the mind. I’ve seen it many a time. It ain’t easy. Just ask Ragetti.” Lydia was completely silent, staring blankly at the dock in front of her. Something had happened to her during the battle, Kitty could tell. She just had no idea what that was.

“Hector,” she finally said quietly. Her voice was cracking, as if she’d been abusing it. “I should go rest. Thetis really-”

“I know, love,” Barbossa said. He wrapped his arm around Lydia’s waist and looked over at James. “Get me when there’s news of Alice.”

“Of course,” James replied. Barbossa then escorted Lydia off the docks, his arm never leaving Lydia’s waist. Kitty couldn’t help but smile at the sight of them. She never would have imagined Lydia with a pirate like him, but now she could understand how her eldest sister fell in love with him. The pair of them really did suit each other well, despite their very obvious differences. Suddenly a blood-curdling scream rang through the air. James tensed his jaw and held Kitty closer to him. Connor woke up again and started crying at the sound of her mother’s screams. “I can’t imagine the pain of getting a limb amputated; physically and psychologically.”

“I can’t either,” Kitty whispered. Connor kept wailing in Kitty’s arms as Alice’s own screams slowly died down. When the surgeon emerged from the cabin minutes later, Kitty had to turn away. She felt sick to her stomach at the mere sight of blood on his apron, just because she knew it was her younger sister’s blood. James grabbed the man’s arm, stopping him as he rushed back across the docks.

“How is she?” he asked.

“She’ll live,” the surgeon said. “But the arm had to go. There was no hope of saving it.”

“Oh my God…” Kitty breathed out, trying to stem the rising nausea in the pit of her stomach. The surgeon gave a single curt nod and then rushed off the docks, most likely to go help anyone else who needed attention after the battle. James and Kitty both looked down at their crying, wailing niece.  On the deck, Kitty watched as Gibbs spotted them and then stuck his head inside the cabin. After  a few seconds, she saw Gibbs lean back and wave at the Norringtons to come onto the ship. Kitty held Connor closer to her and nodded at the First Mate. James placed a hand on her shoulder, kissed her forehead, and then let go of her.

"I'll wait here," James said. "She doesn't need me right now. She needs her sister and her daughter." Kitty nodded.  She walked towards the ship and up the gangplank, gently rocking Connor the entire way up to calm the baby down. Gibbs stood in front of the door and looked down at baby Connor.

"She'll live," Gibbs said, echoing what she already knew from the surgeon. "But she doesn't look good. I'm glad you didn't see her arm before Humphrey came aboard." Kitty took a long, deep breath and nodded, mentally preparing herself for the sight of her little sister. She didn't know how bad the wound had been first hand, but if pirates were saying it was bad... she thought she might faint at the sight when she entered the cabin.

She didn't, though. She was frozen in the doorway the moment Gibbs opened the cabin door.

There in front of her was Alice, lying unconscious on her bed. Her coat and the white sheets of the bed were stained red with her own blood. There was a fair amount on Jack's shirt, vest, and pants as well. She was so pale and her breathing was so shallow that for a moment Kitty wasn't even sure Alice _was_ breathing. If she hadn't been holding Connor, Kitty would have covered her mouth with her hand to hold back a gasp and shield herself from the smell of blood in the air. Jack didn't look up from Alice and he didn't let go of her blood-coated hand.

"Not a pretty sight," Jack said quietly. Gibbs stepped inside the cabin and shut the door behind him. Kitty barely felt herself walk across the cabin and sit down on the bed next to her sister. Connor let out a louder wail and started flailing around in her arms. Jack let go of Alice's hand and extended his arms out to Kitty. She handed the baby to her father and she almost immediately began to calm down. "There, there," Jack murmured. "Your mum's going to be fine." It was strange for Kitty to see this man, this _pirate_ , act like a father. Based on everything she'd known about Jack Sparrow, he wasn't the sort of man she would have expect to fall into a fatherly role as well as he has been.

"Seeing her like this is..." Kitty whispered. "It's terrifying. I know she'll live through this but..."

"I know," Jack replied. Gibbs leaned against the door, oddly quite as he watched Alice's unmoving form. "Alice is strong."

"I know," Kitty replied with a soft smile. "I grew up with her, remember?" She let out a low, deep sigh before letting out a small smile. “I’ve seen her get hurt many times in our childhood. But this…”

“Still doesn’t feel real,” Jack admitted. “Her looking like this.” Kitty felt tears begin to flow down her cheeks. “I barely remember the surgeon in here.”

“If you or Alice needs anything, James and I are here,” Kitty said. “So is Lydia and Barbossa.” Jack let out a ghost of a laugh and smirked.

“I don’t know, most of you hate me,” Jack said. “But you’ll all be there for her and Connor. That’s all I can expect.” He paused and looked over at Alice. “Go on. Be with your husband. I’ve got my girls.” Kitty nodded and rose to her feet. As much as she wanted to stay with her sister, she knew that Jack needed to be alone with her, just to get his thoughts together away from the burdens of an entire crew in the aftermath of war. She walked over to the door and exited the cabin, leaving her sister and her niece inside with Jack Sparrow.

* * *

Lydia couldn’t stop the floods of laughter coming out of her as she watched these pirates all dance merrily and drunkenly around the _Little Dagger_. Though she personally didn’t have the energy to dance around and be as wild as the men and women around her, she had gotten enough from her brief nap to be able to enjoy the frivolity. She rested her head in the crook of Hector’s neck, smelling the rum that had earlier spilled out of his cup and into his auburn beard.  “You certainly seem to be doing better,” he said, his words ever so slightly slurred.

“Well, now that we know Alice is going to be alright, why not celebrate some?” Lydia said. Only a few minutes earlier, Gibbs had made his way into the _Little Dagger_ and loudly shouted that Alice was going to be alright. Of course, he also told them quietly soon after that the surgeon had to cut off her arm just below her elbow. But she would live through it and that was all that mattered to Lydia and Hector; that Alice would live to see her daughter grow up and teach her the ways of the sea. "We won this war, Beckett and Jones are dead in the water, and my sister is going to survive her injury."

"Aye," Hector replied, raising his tankard. "Things are only up from here on out, lass." He took a long drink of his rum and then kissed the top of her head. Lydia could certainly get used to this; sitting curled up in Hector's arm while the two of them drank rum. She certainly hadn't gotten used to the taste of it yet, but she was too drunk to care. Is this how Alice had gotten used to rum? Drink so much that it burns the taste buds off of her tongue? Or just drink so much that the taste of the drink no longer mattered?

Next them sat James Norrington, just enjoying the revelry without indulging in rum. His eyes were glued to Kitty, who had been roped into playing the fiddle with some other pirate musicians. Lydia still couldn't believe Kitty was actually playing random music with these pirates, but then again, it must have been ages since Kitty had even touched a single instrument besides Davy Jones' organ. She was smiling the most Lydia had seen her smile since she'd arrived in Shipwreck. "She plays well," Hector said to her. "You said she plays other instruments?"

"She could play any instrument she touches," Lydia bragged, her words slightly slurred. "Oboe, pianoforte, apparently the organ..."

"And what about ye, hmm?" he asked. Lydia shook her head and grimaced.

"Never had the talent or inclination," she said, taking another drink of her rum. "Books were my passion growing up. Shakespeare, Rowe, Defoe, Swift... I loved it all." Hector let out a low chuckle and took another drink.

"Aye, I can see that in ye," he said.

"She always had her nose in a book," Norrington said with a small smile. "It was about as often as I saw Kitty with music." His way of speaking was still stilted, as if he still wasn't comfortable with Hector. It made perfect sense; he _did_ kill many of Norrington's men three years ago. Some things couldn't be forgiven and forgotten so easily. Just as she would never completely get along with Jack Sparrow, she doubted James Norrington would ever be on very good terms with either Jack or Hector.

The tavern suddenly erupted into loud cheers as Kitty finished her improvised fiddling. She laughed and bowed, then handed the fiddle back to the pirate she borrowed it from in the first place. “It felt so good to play again,” Kitty said as she collapsed into the chair next to her husband. James pressed a kiss to Kitty’s temple and wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

“So,” Hector said, pouring himself another glass of rum, “What’s next for the two of ye, hmm?”

“Go back to Port Royal and our son,” Kitty said. “Try to live as normally as possible. Hopefully we can convince Jack to drop us off there, but if not we can find our way home.” Home… Lydia hadn’t thought of home in a while. Did she truly have a home anymore? She was raised in London but that was no longer home. She spent her teenage years in Port Royal, but now she couldn’t consider it home thanks to Cutler Beckett. Suddenly she felt herself sober up with those thoughts. “What about you Lyddie? Are you coming with us?” Lydia looked down and sipped on her rum.

“No,” she said after a few moments of silence. “I don’t think I can. With father gone and all the unpleasant memories…”

“Where will you go then?” James asked. Lydia looked up at Hector and smirked.

“Wherever he goes,” Lydia replied. “But I think I do need to visit Port Royal one last time. There are a few loose ends I want to tie up.” Hector narrowed his eyes at her.

“What loose ends?” he asked.

“Retrieving a few things, saying goodbyes, seeing if anything was left to me by my late husband in their wills,” Lydia said, swirling the rum in her cup. “Laying father to rest… Things like that.” Hector nodded and took another drink of his rum. All of a sudden, the tavern seemed as if it were far too crowded. She really did hate how her mind always seemed to lead her to brooding. “I think I need some air.”

 “Come on, lass,” Hector said to her, rising to his feet. “If ye want to get out of this tavern, I think I know the perfect place to go.”

“Lead the way, Captain,” Lydia replied with a smirk. She turned to James and Kitty, said brief goodbyes to them, and then took Hector’s hand. He began to weave his way in and out of the drunken, dancing patrons, never letting go of her hand as he lead her out of the _Little Dagger_.

* * *

Lydia was definitely far drunker than she realized. Anyone with eyes could see that. But that wasn’t to say she was completely incoherent. After all, Hector Barbossa knew that there were men and women inside the _Little Dagger_ that were way further gone than she was. Then again, Barbossa wasn’t all that sober either…

“Where are we going?” Lydia asked. She let out small, tipsy giggles and squeezed his hand. Oh yes, Barbossa was very sure he wasn’t going to get tired of being able to feel her touch.

“Ye’ll see in a few moments, lass,” he said with his signature smirk. He wanted this to be a surprise. After all, hardly anyone knew of this spot. Barbossa _himself_ hadn’t known about it until earlier in the evening when Captain Teague subtly divulged its location, mentioning that perhaps it would be a nice place for a Nereid. Lydia rolled her eyes and giggled once again. Even in the dim moonlight he could tell that her pale face was flushed red. Finally, they rounded the corner and arrived at their destination. Lydia dropped her jaw and absolutely beamed. Before them was a small, secluded cove.

“How did you find this?” Lydia asked, turning to him. Barbossa merely shrugged and walked towards the sea.

“Something I heard in passing,” Barbossa replied simply.

“Liar,” Lydia said with a smirk. “See? I’m learning. Thetis found your tell.”

“And pray tell what would that be?” He asked, pulling her towards him and wrapping his arms around her waist. Lydia rested her arms on his shoulders and shrugged.

“My secret,” she said with more intoxicated giggling. “At least, until you tell me yours?” Barbossa let out a ghost of a laugh and shook her head. He wasn’t sure if her increasingly pirate-like ways were a good thing or a bad thing.

“Yer a little vixen,” he said. He bent down and pressed a firm kiss on her lips. Lydia very eagerly responded. He would have continued… but right now she needed to be teased as much as she was teasing him. “But that’s why I love ye.”

“Arse…” she muttered under her breath. She let out a huff and let go of him. Suddenly she was running towards the water, leaving behind a very confused Barbossa.

“What’re ye doing, lass?” he called out as she shed her green coat. She smirked as she pulled off her dark boots, leaving her in just her shirt and trousers.

“Swimming,” she said. “You can stand there or you can join me. Your decision.” With that she ran straight into the ocean, a huge smile gracing her face. Barbossa shook his head at her tipsy antics and slowly walked closer to the shoreline. Lydia emerged from the water soaking wet from head to toe. She was covered in her markings and her eyes seemed to glow blue in the midnight. How he managed to get such an ethereal being to fall in love with him would always be a mystery. She let out a deep sigh and lay on her back, floating on the ripples of the water. “This feels nice after the year we’ve had.”

“Aye,” Barbossa said, sitting down on the shoreline. He took off his boots and set them aside, showing off his less-than-ideal feet. After all, it wasn’t as if most pirates cared excessively for proper hygiene. He felt the water pull the sand away from under his feet as it lapped against the shore. The night was surprisingly beautiful. Nature seemed to ignore the fact that so many horrors and deaths occurred just hours before. No… all he could see was the full moon and the stars shining their lights off the wine-dark sea. All this light illuminated Lydia so beautiful. God she was a beauty… “Feels strange, to know that we can finally rest and return to some honest pirating.”

“Or in my case finally start,” Lydia said. She looked down and turned to swim closer to the shore. “You know, I was fully prepared to stay with you three years ago. I never would have admitted it, but I sort of liked life with you and the rest of your crew.” Barbossa let out a smile and laid back, resting on his elbows.

“That so?” he asked. “Because at the time it more seemed as if ye were bargaining to save Will’s life.”

“I know,” she said. “But I wanted to. My only reason for staying in Port Royal was my family. I didn’t feel the love for it that I used to after you kidnapped me.”

“Technically, I ne’er kidnapped you,” Barbossa said. “You called for a parley and I simply abided by the terms set by Elizabeth.”

“And I learned to be very thorough and specific when making deals with you,” she replied. “Something you’ll hate me for in the future.”

“Aye, but I’m very good at getting what I want,” he said, smirking at her. “Loopholes are my specialty, after all. I have eighteen years of dodging them on ye.” Lydia sighed and swam closer, finally walking back onto the beach. She sat down next to him and laid down, his arms immediately coming around her and holding her closer to him. The two of them laid there, wrapped in each other staring up at the night sky. For the first time in so many years, he felt at peace. Just the feeling Lydia’s head on his chest and his arms around him made him feel so content. He pressed a kiss to her dark, wet hair and pulled her closer to him. She turned her head and immediately kissed him.

Without hesitation, he pulled her so close to him that they were practically flesh against each other. He could feel every curve of her body though her wet clothes and it was more intoxicating that the flagons of rum he’d consume not even an hour prior. Her leg came up around his hip and he moved so that she was now on her back in the sand and he was holding himself up above her, careful not to crush her with his weight. He wanted nothing more than the drink in the feeling of her soft lips and the sound of her small whimper. His hands wandered up and down her sides, brushing ever so slightly along the sides of her breasts. How many times had he wanted to feel them when he’d first met her three years ago? It’d been so long ago that he’d lost count. He looked down at her swollen lips when the two parted for a breath of air. Her blue eyes seemed to stare right through him, into his very being. Then suddenly he said something he didn’t expect himself to say, at least not yet.

“Marry me,” he breathed out. The words had flown out of his mouth before he could even think about what he’d just said. Lydia widened her eyes in shock and stared up at him.

“What?” she whispered.

“Marry me,” Barbossa repeated. It was so spur-of-the-moment, but he was entire sure of what he was asking. Three years he’d been without her. He wasn’t about to wait even longer to call Lydia his wife. And somehow he knew that she didn’t want to wait all that long to call him her husband either. Her silence, however, was worrying him. “Ye don’t have to say yes if ye aren’t ready.” She suddenly pressed her lips against him for a few moments before pulling away, a smile gracing her face.

“Yes,” she said. “I’ll marry you.” She cupped the side of his face with her hand and kissed him again. “But I want to wait until I’ve settled everything I need to.”

“I understand,” Barbossa said. “We can worry about the when later.” He kissed her once more, feeling her smile on his lips. He pulled away as a realization hit him. “I don’ have a ring.”

“I don’t need one,” Lydia said. “I know you’re good for your word. And this is one promise I doubt you’re looking for a loophole out of.”

“Aye, that’s very true,” Barbossa said with a smirk. For the rest of that night, they lied on that sandy beach, drinking in the feeling of being with each other. Eventually they nodded off, falling asleep in each other’s arms.


End file.
